How to Opt Out of Instagram AI Training

When I opted out of Instagram AI training, it took six steps in the Instagram app. One of these steps was filling out a form, but the whole opt-out process only took me around five minutes and is well worth doing. Our guide below walks you through exactly what to do at each stage.

Instagram’s parent company, Meta, uses public posts, photos, comments, and interactions to train its generative AI models. Meta has confirmed that content publicly posted by adult users since 2007 has been used for AI training purposes.

After you submit your objection to having your information used for Instagram AI training, Meta will review it and respond. Note that users in the EU and UK have formal opt-out rights under GDPR, while US users can submit requests, but Meta does not guarantee approval.

What Is Instagram AI Training?

Instagram AI training refers to Meta using users’ public content from Instagram (and Facebook) to train its generative AI models, including Meta AI.

Meta says it uses the following public content to train its AI:

• Your posts.
• Photos (including their captions).
• Comments.

It states that it does not use your private messages with family or friends unless someone in the chat shares those messages with Meta’s AIs. 

How to Opt Out of Instagram AI Training 

Opt out of Instagram AI training in six easy steps.

1. Open the Instagram app and click the menu icon 

Open the Instagram app on your phone.

Click the profile icon in the bottom right corner. 

Then click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner.

2. Navigate to the Privacy Center 

Scroll down to ‘More info and support’ and click “Privacy Center.”

Alternatively, go to the Meta Privacy Center directly at https://privacycenter.instagram.com/. 

3. Click the menu icon and “Privacy topics” 

In the Privacy Center, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right. 

Then, click “Privacy topics.” 

4. Click “Get started” under ‘Generative AI’ 

Scroll until you see ‘Generative AI/ AI at Meta.’

Click the “Get started” button. 

5. Select “Information that you’ve shared on Meta products’ 

Scroll to ‘Submit an objection request’ and click “Information that you’ve shared on Meta products.”

6. Fill out the form 

You will be redirected to a page explaining your right to object to Meta using your public information to train its AI. 

Scroll until you see a short form and fill it out. 

Enter your email address. 

Submit information about how Meta’s AI processing affects you (optional). 

Your objection to Instagram AI training was submitted. 

You will see a pop-up message saying that Instagram will honor your objection. 

You will also receive an email confirmation from Instagram. 

What Happens After You Opt Out of Instagram AI Training

After you object to Instagram AI training, Meta will send you an email confirming that it will no longer use your public information from Instagram in the future development and improvement of Meta’s generative AI models. 

However, Meta states that in some cases, it may still process your information to develop and improve its AI, even if you object to it (or even if you don’t use Instagram). An example of how this might happen is your information showing up in a publicly shared image on Instagram by another Instagram user. 

How to Contact Instagram/Meta

You can contact Meta about privacy concerns through the Privacy Center at https://privacycenter.instagram.com/ or by visiting the Meta Help Center. 

For data protection inquiries, you can also reach Meta’s Data Protection Officer through the Privacy Rights Request channel in your account settings.

Don’t Forget Data Brokers and People Search Sites

AI training is only one part of the puzzle. Data brokers and people search sites are companies that aggregate your personal information from public sources (think public records and social media profiles), compile it into comprehensive profiles, and then sell those profiles to pretty much anyone who wants to see them. 

Thanks to people search sites like Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, and dozens of others, anyone can find your contact details and other personal information with a quick Google search.

The connection to your Instagram activity matters here, as well. Even if you opt out of Meta’s AI training, the personal information you share publicly on Instagram can still be scraped by data brokers. 

• Opting out of AI training protects your public information from being used to train AI models. 
• Opting out of data broker sites protects your personal details from being sold and exposed to strangers.

Learn more about data brokers in our detailed data broker guide. Then, take a look at our step-by-step data broker and people search site opt-out guides to start opting yourself out from some of the major sites, including Whitepages, BeenVerified, Spokeo, PeopleFinders, Radaris, TruthFinder, Intelius, Fast People Search, and Instant Checkmate, among others. 

If you would rather not go through multiple opt-out processes yourself, consider subscribing to a data broker removal service like DeleteMe. Our privacy experts will remove you from data brokers and people search sites continuously on your behalf, saving you hundreds of hours in the process.