Is Instagram listening? How to stop the app from showing creepy hyper-personalized ads

We have all been there where you think Instagram ads are so annoyingly personal that it feels like the app is listening to you. In fact, this myth got so popular that even Instagram head Adam Mosseri had to come out and clarify that the company isn’t listening to you via your mic.

Then why is it that one moment you have a conversation with someone and the other moment you are seeing ads for that item? Well, as Mosseri clarified last year, Instagram analyses what you comment on, save or search within the app, along with your activity on third-party websites via Meta Pixel and cookies, which allows the company to show hyper-personalised ads to you.

But let’s face it, not everyone is a fan of these ads and having the feeling of a social media platform knowing so much about you can be quietly unsettling. In case you are one of those, this guide is for you.

How to stop Instagram from showing you personalised ads?

Method 1: Meta Accounts Centre

Meta has centralised its ad settings for its various platforms, using data from all its apps to show you personalised ads. However, the company thankfully still provides a centralised option to stop this tracking.

• Go to the Instagram app on your phone
• Go to your profile and tap on the hamburger menu (three lines) in the top-right corner
• Tap on Accounts Centre
• Go to the bottom and click on Ad preferences
• Tap on Manage info and click on Activity information from ad partners
• Select Review setting and choose “No, don’t make my ads more relevant by using this information.”

Method 2: Disconnect Meta activity

• Go back to Accounts Centre
• Select Your information and permissions
• Tap on Your activity off Meta technologies
• Select Disconnect specific activity
• You will now be asked to enter your password to confirm the setting
• To make this setting permanent, tap Manage future activity and select Disconnect future activity

Do note that following these settings will not lead to you seeing fewer ads on Instagram or other related Meta apps. Instead, you will be seeing fewer personalised ads based on your history on the platform. Meta not only shows ads on Instagram but has also recently begun to show ads while viewing Status updates on WhatsApp. The company also announced last year that it will personalise ads to users based on their interactions with its Meta AI chatbo