Meta has revealed a significant shift in its advertising and personalization strategy that will impact over one billion users globally. Beginning December 16, 2025, the company will leverage information from user interactions with its AI features, including chatbots and virtual assistants, to tailor ads, posts, and content suggestions across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This initiative is part of a broader revision to Meta’s privacy policy, which now explicitly includes AI-driven conversations in its personalization framework. The company aims to enhance the relevance of advertising and improve the overall user experience across its platforms.
Users will not be taken by surprise, as Meta has indicated that official notifications regarding this change will start appearing in user inboxes and apps from October 7, 2025, allowing individuals several weeks to grasp the implications before the enforcement date. The update is designed to increase the efficiency and relevance of ads by aligning them more closely with users’ interests. For instance, if a user chats about hiking with Meta AI, the system could subsequently recommend local trail groups, highlight relevant outdoor posts, or display targeted ads for hiking gear. Meta stated that it is also utilizing its AI features to enhance the user experience across all its platforms.
The implementation of the new advertising policy will not be universal initially, as countries within the European Union, the United Kingdom, and South Korea are excluded from the December launch due to ongoing regulatory considerations. In all other regions, the changes will take effect automatically, and users will not have a dedicated opt-out option—unless they refrain from using Meta’s AI tools entirely. One of the key aspects of this update is the flow of data across Meta’s suite of applications. For example, conversations with Meta AI on Instagram could affect the ads and recommendations a user encounters on Facebook or WhatsApp, contingent on linked accounts.
Both text and voice interactions are included under this new policy, encompassing exchanges in Messenger or one-on-one chats in WhatsApp. However, Meta has clarified that encrypted messages will remain unaffected by these changes. Importantly, the company has stated that certain sensitive categories—such as religion, health, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and union membership—will not influence ad or recommendation personalization. Despite this precaution, the scope of data available for personalization is still extensive, covering common topics like hobbies, lifestyle preferences, and general discussions. For users worried about privacy, Meta has made it clear that there will be no option to disable AI data usage specifically.
While users can still adjust their account privacy settings, the only way to avoid this new targeting method is to cease using Meta’s AI features altogether. Through this update, Meta is heavily investing in AI-driven personalization as the next phase of social media engagement and advertising, although it may ignite new discussions regarding privacy and data utilization in the digital landscape.