How to limit Instagram from using your data for AI and ads
Instagram users can reduce how Meta uses some of their data for advertising and AI personalisation, although there is no single setting that stops all collection or use of data. The article matters because ads can be influenced by information supplied by retailers, apps and other businesses, as well as activity within Instagram itself.
Meta’s newer “Activity from other businesses” control lets users stop off-platform activity from shaping ads, Feed content and AI responses, while European users can choose less-personalised ads. Users can also restrict iPhone tracking permission, review Android app permissions, disable contact syncing and delete previously uploaded contacts; however, Instagram may still use in-app actions, device and network data, location signals and advertiser customer lists. Meta says deleting uploaded contacts may take up to 90 days.
- Disable off-platform activity personalisation in Accounts Center.
- Review tracking, location and contact permissions.
- Instagram can still personalise content using in-app data.
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Instagram is owned by Meta, which also runs Facebook. The company uses information to personalise adverts and content, including activity people take on Instagram and, in some cases, information businesses share about their customers.
The controls available depend on where a user lives and what device they use. They can limit some uses of data, such as activity on other businesses’ websites and apps, but settings do not stop all data collection or use.
This matters because people may see adverts shaped by information gathered beyond their activity on Instagram. Understanding which controls affect which data can help users make choices about personalisation and tracking.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Meta has implemented meaningful privacy controls that give users substantive choice, including the ability to disable off-platform data use and request less-personalised advertising. The company must process data to operate its free service and deliver effective advertising that supports billions of users; these granular controls represent a reasonable balance between user privacy rights and legitimate business requirements. Users concerned about privacy can actively manage their settings.
The case against
These controls remain inadequate because no single setting prevents all data collection, data flows from numerous hidden sources beyond user visibility or control, and the 90-day deletion delay seems punitive rather than technically necessary. Privacy protection should be the default right rather than something users must laboriously pursue through fragmented menus. Meta's business model fundamentally depends on detailed targeting, so voluntary controls cannot adequately protect users' interests against a platform engineered for surveillance.