Meta is about to make your chats with its AI assistant part of its advertising machine. The data from your chats will shape the content you see — and most users can’t opt out. What does this mean for your privacy?

Meta is set to use data from user interactions with its AI chatbot, Meta.ai, to personalize advertising across its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Users will not be able to opt out of this data collection, except in regions such as the UK, the European Union, and South Korea, where regulatory barriers prevent the rollout.

While Meta claims it will not use sensitive topics like religion, mental health, or sexual orientation for ad targeting, privacy experts remain concerned due to the company's history of data misuse and regulatory fines. Experts advise users to avoid discussing sensitive matters, refrain from sharing personal information, and consider unlinking their accounts to limit data sharing.

How Meta turns AI chats into profit

Picture this, you're asking Meta's AI chatbot how to solve a fight with your partner. A bit later, you start seeing ads for divorce lawyers and couple therapy. Spooky, right? Your chats with Meta.ai will soon be used to target ads, and you can't even opt out. You think you're chatting with a helpful bot, but really, you're feeding an ad engine. If you use Meta.ai on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, your chats will directly influence ads. And you'll see related posts, reels and Facebook groups. Say you ask Meta.ai what's the best time to visit Japan. You'll probably see ads about flight deals, travel insurance or luggage sales. Meta.ai says you're in control, but what they mean is, you can tweak what you see, not what they collect. Because you cannot opt out of having your AI chats used for personalization. And if your accounts are linked in Meta.ai's account center, one chat can affect ads across all apps. This change will roll out for most users around the world except for the UK, the European Union or South Korea because of regulatory hurdles for Meta. Why does Meta.ai do it? Ads are how they make money. Using data from AI chats makes targeting more accurate. Right now, ads won't appear directly in chats. But future features could include in-chat product recommendations or paid services. Other tech giants are heading in the same direction. Meta.ai plans to let users shop directly in chat GPT and take a cut of the profits. Google also announced it will bring ads into its AI-powered search. But what about privacy? Meta.ai claims it won't use sensitive topics like religion, mental health or sexual orientation for ad targeting. But critics say a mere promise is not enough. Meta.ai has a long history of privacy scandals. Think Cambridge Analytica, where user data was misused. The company has also been fined several times for breaching the European Union's data protection laws. Experts warn this isn't just personalization, it's surveillance, especially worrying for young users or people with low digital literacy. Even casual chats can reveal patterns. What you buy, how you feel, what you need. AI chatbots could lure us with the illusion of privacy. Will chatbots soon spy on us to find out what we want? You might be wondering, should I just stop using Meta.ai? Well, you could. Or just check out these three tips to protect your data. Avoid sensitive topics in Meta.ai chats, like health, money or relationships. Don't share personal info like your address or phone number. And unlink your accounts in Meta's account center. Here's how that's done. Meta.ai might feel like a smart assistant, but it's also a data collector. Next time you chat, ask yourself, is this something I want turned into an ad? Stay critical. See you soon.

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