The U.S. company Meta, parent of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, announced that it will begin using user interactions with its artificial intelligence chatbot, Meta AI, to generate personalized advertising and content. According to the company, users will be officially notified starting on October 7, and the measure will take effect on December 16. Meta claims that more than one billion people already use its AI chatbot worldwide.
In practice, this means that, for example, a user asking the assistant about outdoor leisure activities might receive recommendations for hiking groups, see photos and videos of friends engaging in similar activities, and be shown ads for hiking boots and related gear. In Europe and the United Kingdom, where stricter data protection rules apply, the rollout will take place at a later date. Meta’s privacy manager, Christy Harris, explained to reporters that the goal of the announcement is “to be very transparent and ensure users understand what is coming, with plenty of advance notice.”
However, the policy sets important limits: users will not be able to opt out of data collection when using Meta AI, although they will have some control over the level of personalization of the ads and content appearing in their feeds. Meta also emphasized that conversations related to sensitive topics, such as religious beliefs, sexual orientation, political views, or health information, will not be used for advertising purposes, in an attempt to ease concerns about privacy.
