Meta Platforms has announced that starting 16 December 2025, conversations with its AI assistants on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook will be collected and analysed to tailor content and advertisements to users.
What’s Changing
Meta will integrate AI chat data—both voice and text—into existing user profiles. Simply put, asking a Meta AI assistant about hiking or cooking could influence the ads, suggestions, and content you see across its platforms.
The rollout is global, with initial exceptions for the EU, UK, and South Korea due to stricter data privacy regulations. Sensitive topics, including religion, health, political opinions, and sexual orientation, will reportedly not influence ad targeting, though such data may still be used to train Meta’s AI. Notably, users will not be able to opt out if they engage with Meta AI.
Why It Matters
Deepening the Data Economy: Meta is turning AI interactions into an additional layer of behavioural data, potentially transforming how personalised advertising works.
Privacy Implications: Users in countries with weaker data protection frameworks, like Nigeria, may face reduced control over how their conversations are used.
AI Meets Monetisation: As AI assistants become embedded in everyday apps, companies like Meta are mining value not just from posts and clicks but from what users say and ask of machines.
Regulatory Divide: The staggered rollout highlights differences in privacy laws worldwide, with stricter frameworks limiting data usage in certain regions.
How Users Can Respond
Review Privacy Settings: Check AI and chat settings across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.
Limit AI Engagement: Reduce use of Meta AI assistants if you prefer your interactions not to feed into ad targeting.
Stay Informed: Keep up with Meta’s announcements, as policies and regional implementations may evolve.
Key Considerations
How Meta will define and handle “sensitive topics” in practice.
Whether users in countries with weaker protections will receive adequate transparency.
The reaction of regulators and competitors, potentially shaping global AI and privacy standards.
Real-world impact on user trust and the types of personalised content seen in feeds.
This update signals more than a feature change—it underscores how AI conversation data is becoming central to the future of digital platforms.
Users who frequently interact with AI assistants on Meta apps will want to be aware of how this could shape their digital footprint.
