Can I Opt Out of Meta’s A.I. Scraping on Instagram and Facebook? Sort Of.

Can I Opt Out of Meta’s A.I. Scraping on Instagram and Facebook? Sort Of.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has been using artificial intelligence (AI) to scrape data from its users’ posts for years. This data is used to improve Meta’s advertising and recommendation algorithms.

While Meta does not allow users to opt out of this data scraping entirely, there are a few things you can do to limit the amount of data that Meta collects.

On Instagram:

Turn off “Interest Targeting.” This setting allows Meta to use your activity on Instagram to target you with ads. To turn it off, go to your Settings, then tap “Ads” and “Interest Targeting.”
Limit the number of third-party apps you connect to your Instagram account. These apps can share your data with Meta. To review the apps you’ve connected, go to your Settings, then tap “Apps and Websites.”
Be mindful of what you post. Meta can collect data from any content you post on Instagram, including photos, videos, and stories. If you don’t want Meta to see this data, don’t post it.

On Facebook:

Turn off “Off-Facebook Activity.” This setting allows Meta to collect data from your activity on other websites and apps. To turn it off, go to your Settings, then tap “Privacy” and “Off-Facebook Activity.”
Limit the number of third-party apps you connect to your Facebook account. These apps can share your data with Meta. To review the apps you’ve connected, go to your Settings, then tap “Apps and Websites.”
Be mindful of what you post. Meta can collect data from any content you post on Facebook, including posts, comments, and messages. If you don’t want Meta to see this data, don’t post it.

It’s important to note that even if you take these steps, Meta may still collect some data from your activity on Instagram and Facebook. However, by limiting the amount of data that Meta collects, you can help to protect your privacy.

Keywords: Meta, Facebook, Instagram, AI, data scraping, privacy, opt out, interest targeting, third-party apps, off-Facebook activity