Meta-owned Instagram is once again pushing back against long-standing rumors that the app secretly listens to users through their phone microphones. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri addressed the myth directly this week, even as Meta announced sweeping plans to harness artificial intelligence to make ad targeting even more precise.
Mosseri Addresses the Microphone Myth
Posting on Instagram, Mosseri said the idea that Meta is covertly recording user conversations has persisted for years — even his wife has asked him about it.
“I’ve had a number of conversations about this — people just can’t believe how accurate our ads are,” Mosseri explained. “But no, we are not listening to you. That would be a gross violation of privacy.”
Meta has consistently denied using audio recordings to serve ads. Back in 2016, Facebook published a blog post rejecting the claim. Years later, CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress that the company was not collecting audio data for advertising purposes (TechCrunch report).
