Instagram Boss Denies Myth Meta Access To User Microphones To Target Ads

Instagram will personalize ads with AI Meta (photo:ig @mosseri)

JAKARTA The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has finally denied the conspiracy theory of his platform that has emerged for a long time. This theory was publicly denied through his personal Instagram account.

Since a few years ago, public concerns have arisen about Instagram. This platform is said to be able to listen to its users through the microphone of the cellphone. This recording data is also used to target ads for its users.

This allegation strengthens when Instagram provides valid advertisements when new users think about or talk about a product. However, Mosseri now loudly states that they are not taking actions that violate the privacy.

If there are ads that are right and on target, Mosseri says that this is happening thanks to data from the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology they are developing. This data manages to effectively target ads across the Meta platform.

To clarify his rebuttal, Mosseri stated that technically users will know if their microphone is on because the indicator light will appear on the phone screen. In addition, secret recording will drain the phone's battery very quickly.

Mosseri also revealed that the accuracy of Meta's recommendation system comes from cooperation with advertisers. Advertisers share information with Meta about who has visited their website.

This information allows Meta to target users who are the same as relevant ads. In addition, the company's algorithm system displays advertisements based on the interests of people who have a user profile resemblance.

Now, Meta is preparing to leverage AI products to strengthen its ad targeting decisions. The new privacy policy, which will be released on December 16, will take advantage of user interactions with Meta's AI products.

Mosseri also mentioned that sometimes ad accuracy is the result of coincidence or human psychology. He stated, "You may have seen the ad before starting the conversation and not realizing it."