Introduction to Meta AI App Issues
As much as I’ve enjoyed using Meta’s Ray-Bans, I haven’t been a big fan of the switch from the Meta View app to the Meta AI app. The new app is not straightforward and tries to get users to interact with AI. There are many reasons why I don’t like the app transition, and unfortunately, that list just got longer.
Publicly Displayed Conversations
A tech investor, Justine Moore, recently highlighted on X that the Meta AI app’s "Discover" feed is publicly displaying conversations between users and the chatbot. These conversations include sensitive information such as medical and tax records, addresses, and personal details. Users are unaware that their prompts are being displayed publicly, which is a significant concern.
Examples of Publicly Displayed Information
Moore notes that users are sharing all sorts of prompts without knowing they’re being displayed publicly. These include:
- Medical and tax records
- Private details on court cases
- Draft apology letters for crimes
- Home addresses
- Confessions of affairs
I took a short stroll through the Meta AI app and found similar examples, including:
- A woman questioning whether her male partner is truly a feminist
- A self-identified 66-year-old man asking where he can find women interested in "older men"
- A user inquiring about transgender women in Thailand
Gallery of Meta AI App Screenshots
[Gallery of Meta AI app screenshots, including examples of publicly displayed conversations]Meta’s Response
Gizmodo has reached out to Meta about the issue, and a spokesperson stated that posts are only shared when users tap the "share" button. However, when asked why many users may have mistakenly posted private queries, a Meta spokesperson did not respond.
Advisable Action
For now, it’s advisable to make all public prompts visible only to you. To do that:
- Tap your profile icon at the top right
- Tap "Data & Privacy" under "App settings"
- Tap "Manage your information"
- Then, tap "Make all your prompts visible to only you"
- If you’ve already posted publicly and want to remove those posts, you can also tap "Delete all prompts"
Conclusion
I’ve seen bad app design, but this is among the worst. It’s reminiscent of Facebook’s search bar and Venmo’s public payments. For now, it’s best to steer clear of using Meta AI for anything sensitive because you might get more publicity than you bargained for.
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