How to Turn Off Meta AI Features

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has introduced several Artificial Intelligence (AI) features to enhance user experience across its platforms. However, some users prefer to turn off these features for privacy, security, or personal preferences. This article will guide you through the steps to disable or manage Meta AI settings across various Meta platforms.

1. Turning Off Meta AI in Facebook

Meta uses AI to tailor the content you see in your News Feed, create personalized ads, and even suggest friends based on your activities. If you want to limit or turn off these AI-driven features, follow these steps:

a) Disable AI-Powered Friend Suggestions:

Meta’s AI uses your interactions and mutual connections to suggest friends. To turn this off:

1. Open the Facebook app or go to the Facebook website.
2. Tap on the three horizontal lines (menu) in the top-right corner (or bottom-right on mobile).
3. Go to Settings & Privacy → Settings.
4. Under Audience and Visibility, select How People Find and Contact You.
5. Look for Who Can Send You Friend Requests and adjust the settings to your preference, though this won’t completely disable AI-generated friend suggestions. To limit AI friend suggestions, reduce the visibility of your friend list or adjust the Discoverability settings for your account.

b) Turn Off Personalized Ads:

Meta uses AI to display ads based on your browsing activity and interests. To reduce personalized ads:

1. Go to Settings → Ads.
2. Under Ad Settings, select Ad Personalization.
3. Turn off the options that allow Meta to use your information for targeting ads, including Data about your activity and Ad topics.

c) Adjust News Feed Preferences:

AI curates your Facebook feed based on your interactions. To modify it:

1. Tap on the three horizontal lines (menu) and go to Settings & Privacy.
2. Select Feed Preferences and choose Prioritize who to see first or Unfollow people to hide their posts.
3. Turn off Recommendations from Facebook, which will limit AI suggestions for groups and pages.

2. Turning Off Meta AI in Instagram

On Instagram, AI-powered features like content recommendations and personalized ads are common. If you prefer not to have these features enabled:

a) Disable Personalized Ads on Instagram:

1. Open the Instagram app.
2. Tap your profile icon in the bottom-right corner.
3. Go to Settings → Ads.
4. Under Ad Topics or Ad Preferences, toggle off options related to interest-based ads and data usage.

b) Turn Off Explore Page Recommendations:

The Explore Page is heavily influenced by AI and shows content you might like based on your previous interactions. To minimize recommendations:

1. Go to Settings → Account → Data Usage.
2. Disable Autoplay or reduce your usage data, as this affects the AI’s ability to track and suggest content.

c) Limit AI Features in Stories and Direct Messages:

1. Open Settings → Privacy.
2. Under Interactions, select Story and Messages to limit who can interact with you. This indirectly reduces AI-generated content suggestions and automation in these areas.

3. Turning Off Meta AI in WhatsApp

WhatsApp is generally simpler in terms of AI integration, but there are still a few AI-related features, such as automated chatbots for businesses.

a) Disable WhatsApp Business AI Features (For Businesses):

If you’re using WhatsApp Business and have set up automated replies or AI-driven customer support, you can turn these off by:

1. Open the WhatsApp Business app.
2. Go to Settings → Business Tools → Greeting Message or Quick Replies.
3. Disable or edit the automated messages as per your preference.

b) Limit Metadata Sharing:

WhatsApp uses AI to optimize chat and media delivery, but if you’re concerned about privacy:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
2. Tap Privacy → Status and adjust your settings to limit who can see your activities.
3. Turn off Read Receipts, as Meta AI may use this data for interactions.

4. Meta Portal: Turning Off AI Features

Meta Portal is another device that integrates AI, such as smart camera adjustments for video calls. To limit AI functionality:

1. Go to Settings on your Meta Portal device.
2. Under Camera & Audio, toggle off features like Smart Camera, which automatically adjusts the camera during video calls.
3. Adjust Alexa or Facebook Assistant settings if you’re concerned about the AI-powered assistant.

5. Managing Meta AI with the Facebook App’s Data Settings

Meta tracks data from your interactions across Facebook, Instagram, and other apps. To turn off the AI algorithms that use this data:

1. Open Facebook App → Go to Settings & Privacy → Settings.
2. Scroll down to Your Facebook Information → Off-Facebook Activity.
3. Turn off the activity sharing with other companies, which limits Meta’s ability to use AI for targeted content and ads.

Conclusion: Is It Worth Turning Off Meta AI Features?

While turning off Meta’s AI features can give you more privacy and control over your data, it may also limit the personalized experience that many users enjoy. AI helps Meta provide relevant content, tailored ads, and efficient services, but if you prioritize privacy or simply prefer a less curated experience, the steps outlined above can help you regain control.

Before making any drastic changes, consider which features you want to retain, as completely disabling AI-driven suggestions may impact how you use Meta platforms.

Amit Gohar