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Showing posts with label Meta Chatbots. Show all posts
Privacy
Ads Data Privacy data security DPC EU European Cyber Security European Union Legal Action Against Meta Meta Chatbots Meta Data personalized ads Privacy

WhatsApp Ads Delayed in EU as Meta Faces Privacy Concerns

 

Meta recently introduced in-app advertisements within WhatsApp for users across the globe, marking the first time ads have appeared on the messaging platform. However, this change won’t affect users in the European Union just yet. According to the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), WhatsApp has informed them that ads will not be launched in the EU until sometime in 2026. 

Previously, Meta had stated that the feature would gradually roll out over several months but did not provide a specific timeline for European users. The newly introduced ads appear within the “Updates” tab on WhatsApp, specifically inside Status posts and the Channels section. Meta has stated that the ad system is designed with privacy in mind, using minimal personal data such as location, language settings, and engagement with content. If a user has linked their WhatsApp with the Meta Accounts Center, their ad preferences across Instagram and Facebook will also inform what ads they see. 

Despite these assurances, the integration of data across platforms has raised red flags among privacy advocates and European regulators. As a result, the DPC plans to review the advertising model thoroughly, working in coordination with other EU privacy authorities before approving a regional release. Des Hogan, Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner, confirmed that Meta has officially postponed the EU launch and that discussions with the company will continue to assess the new ad approach. 

Dale Sunderland, another commissioner at the DPC, emphasized that the process remains in its early stages and it’s too soon to identify any potential regulatory violations. The commission intends to follow its usual review protocol, which applies to all new features introduced by Meta. This strategic move by Meta comes while the company is involved in a high-profile antitrust case in the United States. The lawsuit seeks to challenge Meta’s ownership of WhatsApp and Instagram and could potentially lead to a forced breakup of the company’s assets. 

Meta’s decision to push forward with deeper cross-platform ad integration may indicate confidence in its legal position. The tech giant continues to argue that its advertising tools are essential for small business growth and that any restrictions on its ad operations could negatively impact entrepreneurs who rely on Meta’s platforms for customer outreach. However, critics claim this level of integration is precisely why Meta should face stricter regulatory oversight—or even be broken up. 

As the U.S. court prepares to issue a ruling, the EU delay illustrates how Meta is navigating regulatory pressures differently across markets. After initial reporting, WhatsApp clarified that the 2025 rollout in the EU was never confirmed, and the current plan reflects ongoing conversations with European regulators.
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Privacy Issues
AI Chatbots AI technology chatbot security Data Leak Data Privacy data security Meta Meta Chatbots Personal Data Privacy Privacy Issues

Meta.ai Privacy Lapse Exposes User Chats in Public Feed

 

Meta’s new AI-driven chatbot platform, Meta.ai, launched recently with much fanfare, offering features like text and voice chats, image generation, and video restyling. Designed to rival platforms like ChatGPT, the app also includes a Discover feed, a space intended to showcase public content generated by users. However, what Meta failed to communicate effectively was that many users were unintentionally sharing their private conversations in this feed—sometimes with extremely sensitive content attached. 

In May, journalists flagged the issue when they discovered public chats revealing deeply personal user concerns—ranging from financial issues and health anxieties to legal troubles. These weren’t obscure posts either; they appeared in a publicly accessible area of the app, often containing identifying information. Conversations included users seeking help with medical diagnoses, children talking about personal experiences, and even incarcerated individuals discussing legal strategies—none of whom appeared to realize their data was visible to others. 

Despite some recent tweaks to the app’s sharing settings, disturbing content still appears on the Discover feed. Users unknowingly uploaded images and video clips, sometimes including faces, alongside alarming or bizarre prompts. One especially troubling instance featured a photo of a child at school, accompanied by a prompt instructing the AI to “make him cry.” Such posts reflect not only poor design choices but also raise ethical questions about the purpose and moderation of the Discover feed itself. 

The issue evokes memories of other infamous data exposure incidents, such as AOL’s release of anonymized user searches in 2006, which provided unsettling insight into private thoughts and behaviors. While social media platforms are inherently public, users generally view AI chat interactions as private, akin to using a search engine. Meta.ai blurred that boundary—perhaps unintentionally, but with serious consequences. Many users turned to Meta.ai seeking support, companionship, or simple productivity help. Some asked for help with job listings or obituary writing, while others vented emotional distress or sought comfort during panic attacks. 

In some cases, users left chats expressing gratitude—believing the bot had helped. But a growing number of conversations end in frustration or embarrassment when users realize the bot cannot deliver on its promises or that their content was shared publicly. These incidents highlight a disconnect between how users engage with AI tools and how companies design them. Meta’s ambition to merge AI capabilities with social interaction seems to have ignored the emotional and psychological expectations users bring to private-sounding features. 

For those using Meta.ai as a digital confidant, the lack of clarity around privacy settings has turned an experiment in convenience into a public misstep. As AI systems become more integrated into daily life, companies must rethink how they handle user data—especially when users assume privacy. Meta.ai’s rocky launch serves as a cautionary tale about transparency, trust, and design in the age of generative AI.
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Social Media App
Advertising Laws AI Chatbot Chatbots Manipulative Ads Mark Zuckerberg Meta Meta Chatbots Privacy Social media algorithms Social Media App

Lawmaker Warns: Meta Chatbots Could Influence Users by ‘Manipulative’ Advertising


Senator Ed Markey has urged Meta to postpone the launch of its new chatbots since they could lead to increased data collection and confuse young users by blurring the line between content and advertisements.

The warning letter was issued the same day Meta revealed their plans to incorporate chatbots powered by AI into their sponsored apps, i.e. WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.

In the letter, Markey wrote to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg that, “These chatbots could create new privacy harms and exacerbate those already prevalent on your platforms, including invasive data collection, algorithmic discrimination, and manipulative advertisements[…]I strongly urge you to pause the release of any AI chatbots until Meta understands the effect that such products will have on young users.”

According to Markey, the algorithms have already “caused serious harms,” to customers, like “collecting and storing detailed personal information[…]facilitating housing discrimination against communities of color.”

He added that while chatbots can benefit people, they also possess certain risks. He further highlighted the risk of chatbots, noting the possibility that they could identify the difference between ads and content. 

“Young users may not realize that a chatbot’s response is actually advertising for a product or service[…]Generative AI also has the potential to adapt and target advertising to an 'audience of one,' making ads even more difficult for young users to identify,” states Markey.

Markey also noted that chatbots might also make social media platforms more “addictive” to the users (than they already are).

“By creating the appearance of chatting with a real person, chatbots may significantly expand users’ -- especially younger users’ – time on the platform, allowing the platform to collect more of their personal information and profit from advertising,” he wrote. “With chatbots threatening to supercharge these problematic practices, Big Tech companies, such as Meta, should abandon this 'move fast and break things' ethos and proceed with the utmost caution.”

The lawmaker is now asking Meta to respond to a series of questions in regards to their new chatbots, including the ones that might have an impact on users’ privacy and advertising.

Moreover, the questions include a detailed insight into the roles of chatbots when it comes to data collection and whether Meta will commit not to use any information gleaned from them to target advertisements for their young users. Markey inquired about the possibility of adverts being integrated into the chatbots and, if so, how Meta intends to prevent those ads from confusing children.

In their response, a Meta spokesperson has confirmed that the company has indeed received the said letter. 

Meta further notes in a blog post that it is working in collaboration with the government and other entities “to establish responsible guardrails,” and is training the chatbots with consideration to safety. For instance, Meta writes, the tools “will suggest local suicide and eating disorder organizations in response to certain queries, while making it clear that it cannot provide medical advice.”  

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