Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
What the default settings do
A Meta account connects Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads. By default, Meta collects extensive data about your activity both on and off its platforms. This includes your posts, likes, comments, searches, messages (for ad targeting metadata, not content in encrypted chats), location history, and activity on third-party websites and apps that use Meta’s tracking tools. Meta uses this data to build a detailed advertising profile that drives its business model. Default visibility settings for posts and profile information are often broader than many users realize.
A reasonable privacy baseline
These settings are managed in the Facebook app or website under Settings & privacy → Settings, and in the Instagram app under Settings and activity → Accounts Center. Meta has consolidated many privacy controls into the Accounts Center, which applies settings across Facebook and Instagram simultaneously.
Activity from other businesses (formerly Off-Facebook activity)
Accounts Center → Your information and permissions → Activity from other businesses → Don't allow Meta to use this activity to show your relevant content
This is data that businesses share with Meta about your interactions on their websites and apps, such as visiting a shopping site or opening a third-party app. On June 9, 2026, Meta announced it was retiring the older "Your activity off Meta technologies" control, which let you disconnect that data from your account, and expanding this setting instead. The change began rolling out in July 2026 in the US and a number of other countries, with reported markets including the UK, Brazil, and South Korea, and more to follow. The setting now governs whether that data is used to personalize not just ads but also your Feed and Meta AI responses. It does not stop businesses sending the data or Meta linking it to your account; it only limits how Meta uses it. Meta states the change does not involve collecting any new data.
Your activity off Meta technologies → Clear history (only where still offered)
In regions that have not received the change, including the EU, where it has been handled separately under GDPR, the older control is still available. If you see it, clearing your history removes the stored record of activity that businesses have already shared with Meta, and you can also disconnect future activity. Where the change has rolled out, this option is gone and the setting above is the only remaining control.
Ad preferences
Ads shown outside of Meta → Not allowed
Meta's advertising network extends to third-party apps and websites. This setting controls whether your Meta data is used to show you targeted ads outside of Facebook and Instagram.
Ad topics → Review and hide topics → Review and restrict sensitive categories
Meta allows you to choose to see fewer ads about specific topics such as alcohol, parenting, and pets. Review the available categories and restrict those you prefer not to be targeted with.
Social interactions in ads → Only me
Prevents your name, profile picture, and social actions (such as liking a page) from being shown alongside ads to your friends.
Categories used to reach you → Interest categories and Profile information → Review and remove
Meta assigns interest categories based on your activity (such as "Technology," "Travel," or "Fitness"). You can review and remove specific interest categories to reduce how precisely ads are targeted to you.
Generative AI training
Settings and privacy → Privacy Centre → "How Meta uses information for generative AI models and features" → Right to object → Submit an objection
Meta uses public posts, photos, captions, and interactions with Meta AI to train its generative AI systems. Users in the EU, UK, Switzerland, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea have a formal right to object to this under local privacy law, using a form in the Privacy Centre. This right is not currently available in most other regions, including the United States.
Meta AI conversations → No setting available: be selective about what you tell Meta AI
Since December 16, 2025, Meta uses your text and voice conversations with Meta AI to personalize the posts, reels, and ads you see on Facebook and Instagram, in the same way it uses likes and searches. There is no setting to opt out of this. Meta said the change would not apply, at least at launch, in the EU, the UK, or South Korea, and that it does not use conversations about sensitive topics such as religion, sexual orientation, political views, or health to target ads. Outside those regions, the only practical control is what you choose to share with Meta AI in the first place.
Face recognition
Face recognition → Off
If this setting is available in your region, turning it off prevents Meta from creating a biometric template of your face from photos and videos. Meta has rolled this out and pulled it back in different markets. If you see the option, disabling it prevents automatic identification of your face in others' photos.
Location history
Settings → Location → Location History → Off
Stops Facebook and Instagram from logging a continuous record of your precise location over time. The apps may still access your location for specific features (such as tagging a location in a post), but they will not build a persistent history.
Location Services (device-level) → Set Facebook and Instagram to "While Using" or "Never"
At the operating system level, restrict when these apps can access your location. "While Using" is sufficient for features like check-ins. "Never" removes all location access.
Activity log
Settings → Your activity → Activity log → Review and manage → Review periodically
The activity log contains a record of everything you have done on Facebook and Instagram - posts, comments, likes, searches, and more. Reviewing it periodically and deleting old activity that is no longer relevant reduces the amount of historical data stored on your profile.
Search history → Clear periodically
Found within the activity log. Meta stores every search you perform on Facebook and Instagram. Clearing this regularly prevents a long-term record of your interests and queries from building up.
App permissions
Device-level permissions for Facebook and Instagram → Review and restrict
On your phone's settings, review what permissions Facebook and Instagram have - including camera, microphone, contacts, and photos. Grant access only to permissions you actively use. For example, the microphone is only needed if you record video or voice messages within the app.
Third-party app connections
Settings → Security → Apps and websites → Remove unused connections
Third-party apps and websites that you have logged into using Facebook retain access to some of your profile data. Review this list and remove any services you no longer use. Each connected app shows what data it can access.
Data download
Settings → Your information → Download your information → Download periodically
Requesting a download of your data lets you see exactly what Meta holds about you. This includes your posts, messages, ad interests, and data from advertisers. Reviewing this data helps you make informed decisions about what to keep, change, or delete.
Who can see your posts
Settings → Audience and visibility → Posts → Default audience → Friends
New posts default to whichever audience you last selected. Setting the default to Friends ensures that posts are not accidentally shared publicly. You can still choose Public for individual posts when you intend to.
Limit past posts → Apply
Under audience settings, the "Limit Past Posts" option changes all your previous Public posts to Friends-only in one step. This is useful if your older posts were shared more broadly than you now prefer.
Profile information (phone number, email, birthday) → Set to "Only me"
Review your profile's About section and limit who can see personal details like your phone number, email address, and date of birth. Setting these to "Only me" prevents this data from being visible to others.
Trade-offs
- Turning off Activity from other businesses means Meta’s ad targeting, Feed ranking, and AI responses have less external data to work with, but it does not eliminate targeted ads or personalization entirely, since Meta still uses on-platform activity for that purpose. Where the older disconnect control has been retired, the outside data still reaches Meta and stays linked to your account.
- Avoiding Meta AI, or keeping personal details out of your chats with it, means giving up its answers and features; there is no middle-ground setting that keeps the chats out of ad personalization outside the EU, UK, and South Korea.
- Restricting ad partner data and interest categories may result in ads that feel less relevant or occasionally mismatched.
- Turning off location history means features like Nearby Friends (if available) and location-based memories will not function.
- Limiting past posts to Friends changes the visibility of all previous Public posts at once. This cannot be easily reversed on a per-post basis.
- Removing third-party app connections may require you to create new login credentials for those services if they relied on Facebook login.
- Setting post defaults to Friends means you need to manually select Public each time you want a broader audience.
- Clearing search history and activity log entries removes data that Meta uses to personalize your feed. Your feed may temporarily feel less tailored.
- Objecting to generative AI training only affects future use of your data; content already used to train existing models cannot be removed. It also does not stop your public content from appearing indirectly, such as if someone else tags you or references your posts in a conversation with Meta AI.
Who should not change these settings
- If you use Facebook or Instagram for public-facing work (content creation, business promotion, public figure communication), keeping post defaults set to Public and maintaining broader profile visibility may be necessary for your audience to find and follow you.
- If you prefer highly relevant ads over generic ones, keeping ad personalization features active gives Meta more data to match ads to your interests.
- If you rely on Facebook Login for many third-party services and do not want to recreate accounts, keep those connections active but review their permissions.
- If you use location-based features like check-ins, Nearby Friends, or local business recommendations frequently, keeping location history or location access at “While Using” may be preferable.
- If you are comfortable with Meta’s data practices and want the most personalized experience across Facebook and Instagram, the default settings provide that.
- If you are outside the EU, UK, Switzerland, Brazil, Japan, or South Korea, the generative AI training objection form is not currently available to you regardless of preference.
- If you use Meta AI regularly and are comfortable with your chats shaping the ads and posts you see, there is nothing to change; just keep sensitive details out of those conversations.