Instagram chief Adam Mosseri stated in a post that Meta does not eavesdrop on users’ phone conversations to deliver targeted ads. Mosseri clarified that Meta’s ad recommendation system relies on data supplied by advertisers about their website visitors. This data helps the platform deliver ads that are more relevant to users.
Meta employs algorithm-driven advertising technology:
Additionally, Meta employs algorithm-driven advertising technology that anticipates user interests by analyzing the behavior and preferences of people with similar profiles. Over time, this approach has consistently yielded strong results for the company.
“We do not listen to you,” according to Mosseri. “We do not use the phone’s microphone to eavesdrop on you.” Listening to you through your phone’s microphone “would be a gross violation of privacy” and would drain your phone’s battery, he says.
Mosseri also noted that the precision of recommendations can occasionally be influenced not only by technology but also by human psychology or sheer chance.
He said, “You might have actually seen that ad before you had the conversation and not realized it.”
“We scroll quickly. We scroll by ads quickly. And sometimes you internalize some of that, and that actually affects what you talk about later,” he added.
Even with his video explanation, Mosseri appears to anticipate that the rumor will continue circulating. “I know some of you are just not going to believe me, no matter how much I try to explain it,” he says.
Meta’s updated privacy policy:
Starting December 16, Meta’s updated privacy policy will permit the company to leverage data from users’ interactions with its AI tools to show personalized ads across Instagram, Facebook, and other services. This approach eliminates the need for microphone access to deliver relevant advertising, instead relying on AI-generated insights from private chats and prompts to gain deeper understanding of user preferences and behavior.
