Meta said on Tuesday that it will start using information shared by other businesses to personalize more than ads. That same off‑site activity will shape what you see in your Feed and how its AI chatbot responds.
What’s changing
- Meta already uses off‑site activity — like games you play or purchases you make on other websites — to make ads more relevant.
- Next, Meta will apply that information to non‑ad experiences, including Feed content and AI responses. In its words: “In the future, we’ll use this information to personalize other parts of your experience, including the content you see in your Feed and AI responses.” (announcement)
- Meta says it isn’t collecting new types of data as part of this update. It emphasizes that you decide how this information is used for personalization.
Controls you can use
- The setting Activity from other businesses (formerly Activity information from ad partners) is being expanded so you can manage how data from other businesses is used for both ads and non‑ad content.
- The setting Your activity off Meta technologies will be discontinued.
- If you allow Meta to use this data for personalized content, you should expect more relevant recommendations. For example, a recent online tent purchase could lead to more camping‑related Reels.
If you say no
If you don’t allow this use, your Feed and other recommendations will rely on your activity within Meta’s apps — things like liking a reel or a post (Meta Help).
Separately, businesses can also share customer lists with Meta (for example, people who signed up for emails). Those lists are used to serve relevant ads.
Where and when
Meta says these changes will start rolling out next month in the U.S. and in several other countries, including the U.K., Brazil, Thailand, South Africa, Turkey, South Korea, Ecuador, Nigeria, and Kenya.
In short: Meta is extending how off‑site business data shapes your experience. If you want that to influence both ads and non‑ad content, you can allow it. If not, you can limit personalization to what you do on Meta’s own platforms.
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