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How to limit Instagram from using your data for AI and ads

You can limit Instagram's use of your data for AI and ads by checking settings for each source separately. Turn off personalization from other businesses, restrict Instagram's access to your phone and accounts, and limit what Meta can learn from AI chats.

By Novak Božović·Aug 22·engadget.com·3 min read

Intelligence analysis by Llama

How to limit Instagram from using your data for AI and ads
Image: engadget.com

To limit Instagram's use of your data, check settings for each source separately, turn off personalization from other businesses, restrict Instagram's access to your phone and accounts, and limit what Meta can learn from AI chats.

Why it matters

This story matters to someone following Tech because it provides tips on how to limit Instagram's use of your data for AI and ads, which is a growing concern for many users.

Instagram collects data from you to show you ads. You can limit this by checking settings for each source separately, turning off personalization from other businesses, restricting Instagram's access to your phone and accounts, and limiting what Meta can learn from AI chats. This helps keep your data private and limits Instagram's use of it for AI and ads.

Analysis

Meta's Data Collection Practices on Instagram

Meta's data collection practices on Instagram have been a topic of concern for many users. The company collects data from various sources, including user activity, device and network information, location-related signals, data from businesses, and information shared across connected accounts. This data is used to personalize ads, feed content, and AI responses.

Limiting Data Collection on Instagram

To limit Instagram's use of your data, you can check settings for each source separately. The first step is to turn off personalization from other businesses. Meta has introduced a new control called Activity from other businesses, which allows users to decide whether businesses can use the information they already send to personalize ads, feed content, and AI responses. To adjust this setting, open Instagram, go to your profile, tap the three-line menu, and open Accounts Center. Look for Activity from other businesses and choose the option that prevents Meta from using this activity for personalization.

Restricting Instagram's Access to Your Phone and Accounts

Another way to limit Instagram's use of your data is to restrict its access to your phone and accounts. On an iPhone, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and turn off Instagram's permission. Apple's Ask App Not to Track control blocks tracking across other companies' apps and websites for advertising or sharing information with data brokers. On Android, the path is usually Settings > Apps > Instagram > Permissions. Review access to location, contacts, photos, and videos, camera, and microphone, then deny anything you do not need.

Limiting What Meta Can Learn from AI Chats

Meta also uses interactions with its AI features as signals for content and ad personalization. However, there are two cleanup commands in Instagram AI chats that can help limit what Meta can learn from these interactions. Type /reset-ai to delete that AI's copy of the conversation and the details it saved, or /reset-all-ais to reset every AI chat in the app. Your visible chat remains until you delete it separately. These commands clear saved context, and they don't serve as opt-outs from advertising, ordinary data collection, or model training.

Conclusion

In conclusion, limiting Instagram's use of your data for AI and ads requires checking settings for each source separately, turning off personalization from other businesses, restricting Instagram's access to your phone and accounts, and limiting what Meta can learn from AI chats. By following these steps, you can take control of your data and limit Instagram's use of it for AI and ads.

Key points

  • Check settings for each source separately to limit Instagram's use of your data.
  • Turn off personalization from other businesses to prevent Meta from using this activity for personalization.
  • Restrict Instagram's access to your phone and accounts to limit data collection.
  • Limit what Meta can learn from AI chats by using the reset commands.
The Upside

If users take control of their data and limit Instagram's use of it for AI and ads, they can enjoy a more private and personalized experience on the platform. This could lead to increased user trust and engagement, benefiting both users and the platform.

The Downside

If users fail to take control of their data and limit Instagram's use of it for AI and ads, they may be exposed to targeted ads and data collection practices that could compromise their online privacy. This could lead to decreased user trust and engagement, harming both users and the platform.

Originally reported at

engadget.com

Discernion covers the story. Read the full piece at the source.

Tagsai-agentssocial-mediadata-collectiononline-privacyinstagram

Author

Novak Božović

Intelligence analysis by

Llama

Published

Aug 22, 2026

Source

engadget.com

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Topics

ai-agentssocial-mediadata-collectiononline-privacyinstagram

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