How to turn off Meta AI (Facebook and Instagram)

Social media giant Meta has sparked privacy concerns among users with its new data collection policy.

Ahead of the launch of its new artificial intelligence tools in the UK, the company is notifying Facebook and Instagram users that it will soon begin leveraging their information (including photos and posts) to train its AI systems.

However, It’s not just social media users that will be impacted. In a move that is sure to ruffle feathers, Meta is informing people that it may wind up processing their data even if they don’t use its services. 

Outraged users have taken to social media to criticise the new rules and warn others to bolster their security. But, is there a way to opt out of the controversial policy or are you beholden to Meta’s whims?

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What’s changing?

In a recent email to users, Meta said it was “getting ready to expand” its AI to more regions, including its new and improved virtual assistant and the other features it announced last year.

As part of the launch, it will start using your data for a new purpose beyond targeted advertising; namely, to train and improve its artificial intelligence systems. These include the ChatGPT-style large language models it has released over the years, the most recent of which was Llama 3.

Virtually everything you share on Facebook and Instagram is up for grabs, from your posts and photos (along with their captions) to the messages you send the AI chatbots once they go live.

However, Meta is promising to “not use the content of your private messages with friends and family” to power its AI.

When will the new rules apply?

Meta says its updated privacy policy reflecting the new changes will come into effect on June 26th

Is Meta allowed to do this?

To enforce the new rules, Meta says it is relying on a legal basis called “legitimate interests”, which essentially gives businesses a lawful way to process user data without the need for explicit consent under the GDPR.

As Meta states under the Where does Meta get training information? section of its privacy policy, "We use information that is publicly available online [and] information shared on Meta's products and services. This information could be things such as posts or photos and their captions." 

Is your data secure? Here's what you should delete from Facebook and Instagram

If you're worried about your personal data being abused but don't want to leave Facebook permanently, here are ways you can protect yourself online

• Date of Birth - this might seem an innocent piece of information but it can lead to the leaking of other personal info, so it's best to delete it, even if it means you will miss out on those Facebook birthday posts... Your birthday, together with your name and address, could be the key for criminals to get their hands on your bank details and other personal data.
• Phone Number
• Review your friends - Having lots of friends, especially those who you don't keep in contact with, can be a problem. and studies have highlighted the importance of only staying connected to those who you keep in regular touch with.
• Photos of family and friends - You need to ask yourself 'what sort of information on does your child want to see published about themselves online in the future?', as this could cause problems depending on the nature of the content you shared, aside from attracting the attention of unwanted stalkers. Make sure you review all photos of your family and friends.
• Locations - Be especially careful about keeping your home address secret. Facebook could use that information without you realising, by getting it from old posts.
• Don't share information about where your kids go to school or your family members study or work. This information could be easily exploited by those who seek to do them harm.
• Avoid using apps which allow you to check-in to places and don't use other services like these on your smartphone. The information on the technology site stated that your online location can be transmitted to anyone, making you extremely vulnerable.
• It may be tempting to share the classic travel photo of yourself ready to go with your boarding pass in your hand, but think twice! Your boarding pass bar code is unique, and from that anyone could get access to exclusive info that you've shared with the airline company.
• It might seem obvious but make sure you don't let your bank details fall into the wrong hands, and be extremely careful with how you share them online, even through private messages

Can you opt out?

While it isn’t as simple as unchecking a box in your settings, there are ways you can try and avoid having your data hoovered up by Facebook’s AI.

As required by the GDPR, Meta is allowing users to object to their information being used in this way.

To do so, you can fill out a short form on Instagram’s website, which asks for reasons why you want to opt out, along with some personal information such as your country of residence and email. Alternatively, go to the Settings page on the Instagram or Facebook app, then go to About > Privacy Policy where there'll be a new box with information regarding Meta AI including a link to an opt-out form called Right to object.

Clicking the form will take you to a new page where you can select your country of residence, input your email address and give a (required) reason on "how this processing impacts you." Meta says on the form that it will "review objection requests in accordance with relevant data protection laws." This is slightly redundant -- and confusing -- language, as Europe's strict GDPR privacy laws mean Meta is obliged to honour all requests, regardless of reason. 

Can I turn off the AI... sort of!

"Meta AI aims to be a helpful assistant and is in the search bar to assist with your questions," Meta said in a statement. "You can’t disable it from this experience, but you can search how you normally would engage with a variety of results."

On the Facebook mobile app, tap the “search” button. You may get a prompt to “Ask Meta AI anything.” Tap the blue triangle on the right, then the blue circle with an “i” inside it. Here, you’ll see a “mute” button, with options to silence the chatbot for 15 minutes or longer, or “Until I change it.” You can do the same on Instagram.

Nonetheless, muting doesn’t get rid of Meta AI completely. Meta AI’s circle logo might still appear where the search magnifying glass used to be — and tapping on it will take you to the Meta AI field. This is now the new way to search in Meta, and just as with Google’s AI summaries, the responses will be generated by AI.

Tech websites have noted that one sure-fire way to avoid Facebook’s AI assistant is to use the social network’s stripped-down mobile site, mbasic.facebook.com. It’s aimed at people in developing countries using older phones on slower internet connections. The basic site has a retro feel that looks crude compared to the current version, and it looks even worse on desktop browsers, but it still works on a rudimentary level and without AI.

If you hate Meta AI that much, the only option that lets you actually remove it from your life as of this moment is to delete your Facebook or Instagram account.

Remember, I am not re-inventing the wheel but posting what I have found on the worldwide web to help upskill us all. A special shout out to MSN News, AP News , CNET

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