Meta Keeps AI-Powered Ad Targeting for US Users, While EU Users Gain Opt-Out Options

Meta has confirmed that U.S. users will not be given the option to opt out of targeted advertising based on their interactions with AI chatbots, while users in the European Union will receive greater control over how their data is used for ad targeting. The decision underscores a growing divergence in privacy policies between the U.S. and Europe, where stricter data protection laws like the GDPR are shaping how companies handle user information. Under Meta’s updated policy, data collected from AI conversations—such as those with the company’s AI assistant in Instagram and Facebook—can be used to personalize ads across its platforms. This includes tracking user interests, preferences, and behaviors derived from chat interactions, even if users don’t explicitly consent to it. The company argues that this data helps improve the relevance of ads and enhances the overall user experience. In contrast, EU users benefit from enhanced privacy protections under the GDPR. They will be able to opt out of ad targeting based on AI-generated data and have more transparency about how their information is collected and used. This includes clearer controls in the privacy settings and the ability to disable AI-driven personalization entirely. The move has drawn criticism from privacy advocates, who argue that U.S. users are being treated as second-class citizens when it comes to digital rights. “Meta is exploiting regulatory differences to offer weaker privacy protections to Americans,” said a spokesperson for a digital rights group. “This is not just unfair—it’s a dangerous precedent for data privacy.” Meta maintains that its approach is compliant with U.S. laws and that it continues to prioritize user safety and platform performance. The company says it is investing in tools to give users more visibility into how AI is used, but stops short of offering a full opt-out for AI-based ad targeting in the U.S. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in social media, the gap between global privacy standards is likely to grow, raising concerns about digital equity and user autonomy. For now, EU users have a stronger say in how their AI interactions influence their ad experience—while U.S. users remain locked into a system that uses their AI chats to shape their feeds.