In the near future, according to a recent news release, Meta wants to systematically save and analyze its users’ conversations with the company’s own AI chatbot on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.
The initiative will begin starting December 16th, 2025, initially outside the EU and UK where stricter data protection laws will force a later introduction. The data will be used to further personalize advertising and content, and it won’t be possible to opt out.
According to Meta, all user inputs to the AI chatbot in WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook will be stored and analyzed. The company wants to use this data to personalize advertising and content.
Anyone who talks to the AI about topics such as cycling or cooking, for example, could start receiving targeted ads for bicycles or kitchen appliances. Users might also start getting suggestions and recommendations for relevant groups and posts.
Meta emphasizes that sensitive information—such as health, religion, or political views—won’t be used for advertising purposes. Nevertheless, that kind of data is still technically collected and processed in order to provide the AI functions.
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No way to opt out of data collection
There won’t be a way to keep using the AI chatbot while also opting out of data collection and analysis. If you don’t want Meta to read and study your conversations for advertising purposes, your only option is to stop conversing with the AI chatbot altogether.
WhatsApp offers an option for blocking the automatic integration of AI. To do this, open the relevant chat, go to the settings, and activate the “Advanced chat privacy” option. This must be done for each chat.
Note that Meta plans to compile the AI chat data collected across platforms. Anyone who has linked their accounts in the “Accounts Center” must be aware that AI interactions on one platform can also influence the display of advertising on another.
Meta says it won’t analyze private end-to-end encrypted messages between real contacts. Only AI conversations.
Launch in Europe still up in the air
While the new policy is due to come into force in most regions worldwide starting December, the launch date for the EU and UK remains unclear. Meta is still examining how the changes can be reconciled with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws.
According to the company, over one billion people already use Meta’s AI services, including the chatbot and the “Imagine me” image function.
What does this mean for users?
In the future, anyone who chats with Meta AI will have their full conversations stored and examined by Meta. As the data analysis can’t be deactivated after its introduction, the only protective measure you can take is to not use any Meta AI features. (In WhatsApp only, you can activate chat data protection on a per-chat basis.)
For more information, check Meta’s privacy policy.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.