Meta Expands Data Harvesting to Reshape Social Feeds

The company maintains it is not collecting new data, but rather re-purposing information already funneled to them by third-party businesses. Previously, the algorithm relied primarily on internal metrics like your likes, views, and follows to curate feeds. By integrating external data points—such as retail habits and gaming history—Meta intends to create a more cohesive, albeit more invasive, user experience. Spokesperson Emil Vazquez confirmed that this update also encompasses interactions with the company’s AI assistant, which began influencing ad targeting last year.

To manage these changes, Meta has consolidated its privacy controls into a single "Activity from other businesses" setting. Disabling this toggle remains the only way to opt out of having off-platform data influence your feeds or AI interactions. The rollout is global, though regulatory hurdles leave several regions excluded at launch, including the UK, the European Union, Brazil, South Korea, and Thailand.