Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri Denies Meta Listens to Users’ Conversations for Ads

Instagram head Adam Mosseri has once again pushed back against the long-standing conspiracy theory that Meta secretly uses smartphone microphones to listen to private conversations for ad targeting.

In an Instagram post, Mosseri called the idea a “gross violation of privacy” and stressed that Meta’s ad recommendations don’t rely on such methods.

Mosseri explained that users often mistake coincidences and psychology for surveillance. “You might have actually seen that ad before you had the conversation and not realised it,” he noted, adding that quickly scrolling through content can subconsciously influence later conversations.

Instead of audio surveillance, Mosseri said Meta’s recommendation engine relies on advertiser data, browsing behavior, and algorithms that group people with similar interests. These systems have made Meta one of the most profitable advertising platforms in the world.

Meta recently announced that starting December 16, it will expand data collection by using interactions with its AI products to power ad targeting across its apps. This shift underscores that Meta’s algorithms already have enough information to deliver highly tailored ads—no hidden microphones required.

Still, as Meta taps into AI-powered insights from personal chatbot interactions, user concerns about privacy—and the eerie accuracy of ads—are unlikely to fade anytime soon.

In 2018, during a Senate hearing, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg denied claims that his company's applications listen to users through smartphone microphones. Responding to Senator Gary Peters, Zuckerberg dismissed the conspiracy theory, stating the company does not mine audio data from mobile devices.