Meta forces targeted ads from your AI chats
â–¼ Summary
– Meta will soon use AI interactions to personalize content and ad recommendations without providing users an opt-out option.
– Users will be notified on October 7 that their AI interactions will influence recommendations starting December 16, but the initial notification may not clearly mention AI.
– Meta claims it is not obscuring the update, stating that notifications and emails will make the AI focus apparent upon clicking through.
– Sensitive conversations with Meta AI on topics like health or political views will not be used for ad targeting, according to Meta.
– While users can control interactions and adjust settings, they cannot opt out of targeted ads based on AI chats once tracking begins on December 16.
People who regularly use Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp should be aware that Meta will soon begin using their conversations with Meta AI to shape the content and advertisements they see across its platforms. This new form of personalized advertising will be mandatory, with no option for users to disable it. Starting December 16th, the information you share with the AI will directly influence your recommendations.
Meta intends to alert users about this upcoming change on October 7th. The initial notification, however, may not make the connection to AI immediately clear. It is expected to state, “Learn how Meta will use your info in new ways to personalize your experience.” Only after a user clicks on this alert will a second screen clarify that the policy update specifically involves “your interactions with AIs.”
When questioned about the indirect wording of the first notice, a Meta spokesperson, Emil Vazquez, disagreed with the suggestion that the company was being unclear. He pointed out that notifications and emails are being sent to inform people, and the AI-focused nature of the update becomes apparent as soon as someone engages with the message.
In an official blog post, Meta highlighted that its AI assistant is used by more than a billion people each month. The company’s stated objective is to refine Meta AI’s performance, which it claims will lead to improved user experiences throughout its suite of applications. The policy does include some protections for sensitive information. Meta has confirmed it will not utilize conversations about topics like religious beliefs, political views, health, sexual orientation, or racial origin for the purpose of targeting ads.
The company’s blog reassures users that they remain in control, suggesting they can manage how they interact with the AI, unlink their accounts across different apps, or modify their general ad settings. Despite these statements, the core function of using AI chats for ad targeting cannot be turned off. Vazquez explicitly confirmed to press that “there isn’t an opt out for this feature,” making it a compulsory element of the platform experience beginning in mid-December.
(Source: Ars Technica)
