Meta Will Start Listening In On Your Conversations Without Your Consent And You Will Not Be Able To Opt Out
Meta will start using people’s conversations with its AI chatbot to help personalize ads and content, offering a glimpse of how the company intends to pay for its expensive artificial intelligence efforts.
The policy, which is set to go into effect Dec. 16, marks the crossing of a new frontier in digital privacy. The change means that if users ask Meta’s AI chatbot for nearby hiking recommendations, for instance, they might start seeing ads on Instagram and Facebook for hiking boots or other gear, as well as hiking-related content from creators in their feeds.
While people won’t be able to opt out from having their chats used for personalization, the content of some conversations will be automatically excluded. Conversations involving religious or political views, sexual orientation, health, and racial or ethnic origin won’t be used to customize ads or content, the company said. Chats conducted before Dec. 16 won’t be used for personalization. The policy won’t apply to users in the U.K., South Korea and the European Union, at least initially.
The policy, which is set to go into effect Dec. 16, marks the crossing of a new frontier in digital privacy. The change means that if users ask Meta’s AI chatbot for nearby hiking recommendations, for instance, they might start seeing ads on Instagram and Facebook for hiking boots or other gear, as well as hiking-related content from creators in their feeds.
While people won’t be able to opt out from having their chats used for personalization, the content of some conversations will be automatically excluded. Conversations involving religious or political views, sexual orientation, health, and racial or ethnic origin won’t be used to customize ads or content, the company said. Chats conducted before Dec. 16 won’t be used for personalization. The policy won’t apply to users in the U.K., South Korea and the European Union, at least initially.
