June 9, 2026: Social media giant Meta Platforms has announced a significant expansion of its personalization framework, revealing plans to use information received from external businesses not only for advertising but also to tailor users’ social media feeds and artificial intelligence interactions.
The move marks a broader integration of third-party activity data across Meta’s ecosystem, extending beyond targeted advertising into content recommendations and AI-powered experiences.
Meta Broadens Use of Third-Party Activity Data
For years, Meta has relied on information shared by partner businesses to improve ad targeting across its platforms. This data can include activities such as online purchases, app interactions, website visits, and customer engagement with participating businesses.
Under the new policy, the company plans to leverage the same data sources to personalize additional services, including the content users see in their feeds and responses generated by Meta’s AI assistant.
According to the company, the update does not involve collecting new categories of information. Instead, it expands how existing third-party data is utilized within its products.
AI Responses and Content Recommendations to Become More Personalized
The new approach is designed to make user experiences more relevant by incorporating signals from activities that occur outside Meta’s platforms.
For example, if a user recently purchased outdoor equipment from an online retailer, Meta’s systems could recommend related videos, posts, or AI-generated suggestions focused on camping, hiking, or travel topics.
The company believes this broader personalization model will improve content discovery and create more tailored interactions with its artificial intelligence tools.
New Privacy Controls Introduced
To accompany the change, Meta is updating its privacy settings and user controls.
The existing setting previously known as “Activity Information from Ad Partners” will be expanded and renamed “Activity from Other Businesses.” The revised control will allow users to manage how information shared by external businesses is used across both advertising and non-advertising experiences.
At the same time, Meta plans to discontinue its current “Your Activity Off Meta Technologies” setting, consolidating personalization preferences into a single management interface.
The company emphasized that users will retain the ability to decide whether off-platform activity can be used to customize their experience.
What Happens if Users Opt Out?
Users who choose not to allow third-party business data for personalization will still receive content recommendations based on their activity within Meta’s own platforms.
This includes interactions such as likes, comments, follows, shares, video views, and engagement with posts or reels. In such cases, Meta’s recommendation systems will rely primarily on on-platform behavior rather than external data sources.
Rollout Planned Across Multiple Countries
Meta confirmed that the updated personalization controls and expanded data usage policy will begin rolling out next month in several international markets.
The initial launch is expected to include the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, South Korea, Ecuador, Nigeria, and Kenya, among other regions.
The company has not yet disclosed whether additional countries will be added in subsequent phases.
Privacy Experts Closely Watching the Changes
The announcement is likely to attract attention from privacy advocates and regulators who have increasingly scrutinized how technology companies collect, process, and use personal data.
As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into consumer platforms, industry experts note that the balance between personalization and privacy is becoming a critical issue for both users and policymakers.
Meta’s latest update reflects a broader trend among major technology companies seeking to combine AI-driven experiences with increasingly sophisticated personalization systems powered by large volumes of user data.
The effectiveness of the new strategy—and how users respond to the expanded use of off-platform activity—will likely shape future discussions around data privacy, transparency, and AI governance in the social media industry.
