Meta to Use AI for Personalized Ads Based on User Chats, Denies Microphone Use
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is set to expand its data collection practices, using AI to generate personalized ads based on users' personal chats and inquiries. This move aligns with a new data protection regime introduced by Meta in December 2022, emphasizing compliance with GDPR principles. However, the company has faced allegations of using microphones to influence content and advertising, which it consistently denies.
Starting December 16, Meta will use AI-powered insights from personal chats and prompts to deliver targeted advertising on its platforms, including Instagram and Facebook. This approach respects user privacy and legal obligations under EU law, as per the new data protection regime introduced in December 2022. The regime emphasizes minimized data processing and transparency about data use.
Meta's advanced ad targeting system is built on algorithms and advertiser data sharing. It refines ad recommendations based on user interactions with specific websites and similar interest patterns. This system does not rely on secretly listening to users' conversations using their phone microphones, as Meta has consistently denied these allegations since at least 2016. Instagram head Adam Mosseri has also dismissed these claims, stating that secretly recording people would deplete device batteries and produce visible results, such as a microphone indicator light.
Meta's expansion of data collection for targeted advertising, starting December 16, is designed to respect user privacy and comply with EU law. The company's advanced ad targeting system is built on algorithms and advertiser data sharing, and it does not involve secretly listening to users' conversations using their phone microphones, as previously alleged.
