Instagram head Adam Mosseri has once again denied that Meta secretly listens to users’ conversations through their phone microphones to deliver targeted ads. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Mosseri called the claim a persistent myth, one he says even his wife has raised.
The timing of his remarks is striking, as Meta recently confirmed that it will begin using data from users’ interactions with its AI products across Instagram, Facebook, and other apps to refine ad targeting.
Mosseri explained that if Meta were recording conversations, users would notice obvious signs such as their microphone light being on or their phone batteries draining faster. Instead, Meta’s ad system works by analyzing user activity, advertiser data about website visits, and algorithmic modeling based on similar audience behavior.
The company has previously denied these allegations: in 2016 via a blog post and again in 2018, when CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress. Still, many users remain convinced due to the uncanny accuracy of Meta’s ad recommendations, often interpreting coincidences or subconscious recall as proof.
Meta’s new privacy policy, set to roll out on December 16, will allow the company to leverage AI chatbot interactions as an additional data signal for ad targeting in most markets. Critics warn this shift could make recommendations feel even more intrusive, intensifying the perception that Meta “knows too much” about its users.
