Instagram doesn’t listen to your conversations, CEO Adam Mosseri confirms

You’ve probably experienced this: you’re chatting with a friend about some fancy cups or a new device, and the next time you open Instagram, there’s an ad for exactly that thing. Creepy, right? That’s the internet rumour Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri is trying to squash.

In a new video, Mosseri aimed to set the record straight. CEO Adam Mosseri has put to rest a widely circulated myth among social media users that the platform listens to private conversations and serves ads based on them.

Instagram does not use your microphone to target ads, he said, emphasising that ad recommendations are based on user activity and interests- not personal conversations.

"This is a myth-busting video about something I've had a lot of passionate conversations about," Mosseri said in the video. "We do not listen to you. We do not use the phone's microphone to eavesdrop on you," he added.

He explained that if Instagram were secretly listening to your conversations, it would be a "gross violation of privacy," drain your phone's battery, and you would notice it- you would actually see a little light at the top of the screen indicating that the microphone was on.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)

So why do you sometimes see ads for things you’ve recently talked about? It’s not because Instagram is listening to you. According to Mosseri, the platform uses other signals, like something you recently discussed with someone, tapped on, or even searched for online- maybe even before that conversation took place.

He further mentioned, "We actually do work with advertisers who share information with us about who was on their website to try to target those people with ads. So if you were looking at a product on a website, that advertiser might have paid us to reach you with an ad."

Another reason could be that sometimes you notice an ad only after you’ve already seen it, even if you didn’t pay much attention initially. Later, when the topic comes up in conversation, it feels like Instagram “knew” it. "We scroll by ads quickly. And sometimes you internalise some of that, and that actually affects what you talk about later."

And the final reason could be pure “coincidence.” Mosseri admits that no matter how much he explains, some people won’t believe it, but he wants to set the record straight: Instagram does not eavesdrop on users’ conversations.

These comments came as Meta announced that it would begin using people’s interactions with its generative AI tools to personalise content and advertising across its apps, such as Facebook and Instagram, starting December 16. Users will be notified of the changes from October 7, and they will not have an option to opt out, the social media platform said.