Meta announced on Wednesday that it will begin using data from user interactions with its AI tools to power targeted advertising across its social platforms.
The company plans to update its privacy policy by December 16 to reflect the change and will alert users in the coming days. The new rules will apply worldwide, with the exception of South Korea, the UK, and the European Union, where privacy laws restrict this kind of data collection.
For years, Meta’s ad business has relied on building detailed user profiles on Facebook and Instagram to deliver highly targeted ads. Now, conversations with its AI chatbot will feed into those profiles, giving advertisers another powerful signal to reach audiences.
Meta already holds vast amounts of data about its users, but the rollout of Meta AI has created a new and valuable stream of insights. More than a billion people use Meta AI each month, often engaging in lengthy, detailed chats. Until now, the service has been offered for free — but by leveraging this data, Meta can sharpen the effectiveness of its ad products.
For instance, if someone chats with Meta AI about hiking, they may later see ads for outdoor gear. According to Meta spokesperson Emil Vazquez, the privacy update covers more than just Meta AI. It extends to the company’s wider AI ecosystem, including features built into Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses — such as voice recordings, images, and videos processed by AI — as well as its AI-powered video feed, Vibes, and its image generator, Imagine.
Conversations with Meta AI will only shape ads on Facebook and Instagram when the user is logged into the same account across products.
