Instagram's CEO confirmed that the app doesn't record your conversations and explained why the ads seem to 'guess'
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After years of speculation, Instagram has finally clarified once and for all that it doesn't record its users' conversations. The CEO, Adam Mosseri, explained why ads sometimes seem to guess what we are talking about.
Many people noticed that after talking about a product, it appeared as an ad in the app. Mosseri was clear: "We do not use the microphone to spy" and clarified how the algorithm actually works.
Instagram aclaró de una vez por todas que no graba las conversaciones de sus usuarios
How advertising on Instagram actually works
According to Mosseri, ads are based on your activity within the app, searches, and the interests you share with friends and contacts. This way, Instagram can "anticipate" your preferences without needing to listen to your conversations.
Additionally, if the app were recording, there would be clear signs: higher battery consumption, visible microphone indicators (such as on iOS), and blocks by the operating system.
When Instagram can use the microphone
The app does require explicit access to the microphone for legitimate functions such as:
Recording audio or video in Stories, Reels, or live broadcasts.
Voice features within the app.
In all cases, your permission is required and operating systems show when the microphone is active.
Cuándo Instagram puede usar el micrófono
Why we feel like Instagram is "listening" to us
The coincidence between what we say and the ads may be due to several reasons:
Previous searches that were forgotten or mentioned in conversations.
Friends or contacts performed similar searches and the algorithm interprets it as your own interest.
Existing advertising that we simply had not noticed until that moment.
Random coincidences.
The combination of these factors, along with the sophistication of the system, creates the sensation that Instagram "reads minds."
