Meta Faces Backlash for Making AI Searches Public by Default

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, recently changed its privacy settings to make AI search queries public by default, affecting millions of users. This policy shift, implemented last week, has the potential to expose sensitive health, relationship, and financial inquiries buried deep within the platform.

Users need to manually adjust settings to keep their search conduct private, with less than 5 users reportedly discovering this default setting. Privacy advocates, including Max Schrem of noyb, have raised alarms about this policy change, leading to immediate GDPR complaints in the EU.

Experts recommend users take steps to secure their data, such as setting privacy controls for AI search history, toggling search to private, and deleting existing search logs. Despite concerns about user privacy, Meta's stock has surged amid AI advancements, prompting questions about the balance between user protection and profit.