Meta AI Feature Exposes Sensitive User Info
News Desk
Islamabad: Imagine your internet search history suddenly becoming public. That’s the fear some users of Meta AI are now facing, as prompts submitted to the chatbot—along with its responses—are being publicly displayed in a “Discover” feed. Many users appear unaware that their interactions can be exposed this way.
Cybersecurity experts warn this could pose a major privacy and safety risk. In some cases, posts include usernames and profile pictures, making it possible to trace the content back to individual users’ social media accounts. This raises serious concerns about informed consent and personal data exposure.
Among the publicly shared prompts are sensitive or inappropriate requests—such as AI-generated images of scantily clad characters, personal explorations of gender identity, and help with exam questions. The BBC found that some users had uploaded school and university tests to get answers, while one prompt linked to an Instagram profile asked Meta AI to generate a nearly nude animated character.
Meta states that chats are private by default and that users must opt in to share them. Before posting publicly, a warning is shown: “Prompts you post are public and visible to everyone… Avoid sharing personal or sensitive information.” Users can delete posts after they’re shared.
However, critics argue that this warning isn’t enough. The nature of many posts suggests users don’t fully understand they’re sharing content publicly—and potentially tying it to their real identity.
Rachel Tobac, CEO of Social Proof Security, criticized the feature on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “If a user’s expectations about how a tool functions don’t match reality, you’ve got yourself a huge user experience and security problem.” She emphasized that most users don’t expect private AI interactions to show up in a feed similar to a social media timeline.
As Tobac warned, “Users are inadvertently posting sensitive info to a public feed with their identity linked.”
Launched earlier this year, Meta AI is integrated into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and is also available as a standalone tool. The Discover feed is intended to highlight creative uses of the AI—but critics say it’s doing so at the cost of user privacy.
In an April press release, Meta said: “You’re in control: nothing is shared to your feed unless you choose to post it.” Yet the apparent disconnect between how the tool works and what users expect has raised red flags.
Although users can adjust settings to keep chats private, the current design—combined with how easy it is to accidentally share sensitive information—has sparked growing concern over transparency and data protection.
