This Policy is Meta Platforms, Inc.'s policy for Meta Products, including Instagram
The document is the Meta Privacy Policy, issued by Meta Platforms, Inc. It applies to what Meta calls Meta Products or Products, which include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and AI at Meta. It also applies to Meta Quest, but only if you log in with a Meta account. The Instagram data policy lead therefore resolves to this shared Meta document, not an Instagram-only policy.
Supporting quotations
This Privacy Policy applies to what we call Meta Products, or Products. Our Products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and
It also applies to Meta Quest if you log in with a Meta account
This Policy describes the information we, Meta Platforms, Inc., process to provide
This helps you use Meta Products[1]
Qualifications & exceptions
Meta Quest is covered only when you log in with a Meta account.
The linked Meta Products page that lists the full product set is not supplied here.
Not stated here
Which further products count as Meta Products beyond the four named is defined on a linked page not supplied in this source.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Effective July 23, 2026; this version adds AI integration and agentic AI details
This version of the Policy is dated and effective July 23, 2026. Meta says the update adds details about AI integrations, how it personalises your AI experiences, and new agentic AI capabilities, meaning AI tools you can direct to take actions for you, such as booking a restaurant or sending an email. The update notice also states that information shared with AI at Meta features is used to improve AI at Meta unless you have objected. The objection route is on a linked page that is not supplied here.
Supporting quotations
Effective July 23, 2026
Updated on Jul 23, 2026
We've updated our Privacy Policy with details about agentic AI capabilities and how we personalise your AI experiences.
Info shared with AI at Meta features is used to improve AI at Meta unless you have objected.
new agentic AI capabilities (for example, AI tools that you can direct to take actions for you, like booking a restaurant or sending an email)
Qualifications & exceptions
Use of information shared with AI at Meta features to improve AI at Meta applies unless you have objected.
The banner text appears twice; the first copy carries the objection sentence and a link, the second does not.
Not stated here
How and where you object, and whether the objection route is available in every region, is on a linked page not supplied in this source.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Context
US residents are referred to a separate United States Regional Privacy Notice
At the start of the Policy, Meta points readers to a linked United States Regional Privacy Notice for more details about how it handles Personal Information and how to exercise your rights. That notice is a separate document; its text is not supplied in this source, so what it adds or changes for US residents is unknown here.
Supporting quotations
for more details about how we handle Personal Information and how to exercise your rights
Qualifications & exceptions
The notice is linked, not reproduced, in this document.
Not stated here
The content of the United States Regional Privacy Notice is not supplied.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Context
The Policy explains collection, use, sharing, retention, transfer, rights and settings
Meta describes the Policy as explaining how it collects, uses, shares, retains and transfers information, and as telling you your rights. It says each section includes examples and simpler language, and that it shows where you can manage your information in the settings of the Meta Products you use, which you can update to shape your experience. These are descriptions of the document's structure, not separate commitments.
Supporting quotations
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and share your information. It also describes how long we keep your information and how we keep it safe when we transfer it.
The Privacy Policy also lets you know your rights
In the Privacy Policy, we explain how we collect, use, share, retain and transfer information. We also let you know your rights.
we also show you where you can manage your information in the settings of the Meta Products you use. You can update these settings to shape your experience.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Highlights: Meta collects sign-up details, your activity, connections, device data and partner data
Meta lists the main kinds of information it collects: what you give it when you sign up and create a profile (such as email address, phone number or age); what you do on Meta Products, including clicks and likes, posts and photos, chats with AI at Meta features and messages you send; who your friends or followers are and what they do on the Products; information from the phone, computer or tablet you use, such as its kind and your app version; and information from partners about things you do both on and off Meta Products, which could include other websites you visit, apps you use or online games you play. Some Products offer end-to-end encrypted messages; the linked explanation is not supplied here.
Supporting quotations
In this Policy we list the kinds of information we collect. Here are some important ones. We collect:
The information you give us when you sign up for our Products and create a profile, like your email address, phone number or age
What you do on our Products. This includes what you click on or like, your posts and photos, your chats with our features that are part of
Who your friends or followers are, and what they do on our Products
Information from the phone, computer, or tablet you use our Products on, like what kind it is and what version of our app you’re using
Information from partners[2] about things you do both on and off of our Products. This could include other websites you visit, apps you use or online games you play.
Qualifications & exceptions
This is Meta's own highlight list; the detailed lists follow in the section.
End-to-end encrypted messaging is available only on some Products.
Not stated here
Which Products offer end-to-end encryption and what Meta can read of encrypted messages is on a linked help page not supplied here.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
What Meta collects depends on how you use the Products, and some collection happens without an account
The information Meta collects and processes about you depends on how you use the Products; Meta gives the example that it collects different information when you sell furniture on Marketplace than when you ask Meta AI to write a joke. When you use the Products, Meta collects some information about you even if you do not have an account. Later in the section Meta repeats that if you do not use Meta Products, or use them without an account, your information might still be collected, for example through contact information uploaded by account holders.
Supporting quotations
The information we collect and process about you depends on how you use our Products[3].
When you use our Products, we collect some information about you even if you don't have an account[4].
If you don’t use Meta Products, or use them without an account, your information might still be collected.
Qualifications & exceptions
Collection without an account is stated as 'some information' and 'might still be collected'; the exact set is described in the no-account subsection later in this Policy.
Not stated here
The linked help page on how Meta uses contact information uploaded by account holders is not supplied.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta collects your activity across its Products and the information you provide
Meta calls everything you can do on its Products 'activity' and collects your activity across the Products together with information you provide. The listed items are: content you create, like posts, comments or audio; content you provide through the camera feature, camera roll settings or voice-enabled features; messages you send and receive, including their content, subject to applicable law (some Products offer end-to-end encrypted messages); metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata, such as content and messages you or others exchange with those features; the types of content, including ads, you view or interact with and how you interact with it; the apps and features you use and the actions you take in them; websites you visit or interact with and your activity on them when you use the in-app browser; purchases or other transactions you make, such as through Meta checkout experiences, including credit card information; hashtags you use; the time, frequency and duration of your activities; and your photo or video selfie if you provide it when contacting Meta for account support.
Supporting quotations
We collect your activity across our Products and information you provide[5], such as:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio.
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features.
Messages you send and receive, including their content, subject to applicable law. On some Products, you can use end-to-end encrypted messages.
Metadata[7] about content and messages, subject to applicable law.
and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features.
Types of content, including ads, you view or interact with, and how you interact with it.
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them.
Information about websites that you visit or interact with, and your activity on them, when you use our in-app browser.
Purchases or other transactions you make, such as through Meta checkout experiences, including credit card information.
Hashtags you use.
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products.
Your photo or video selfie if you provide it when you contact us for account support.
Qualifications & exceptions
Message content and metadata collection are each stated as subject to applicable law.
In-app browser website activity is collected when you use Meta's in-app browser.
The selfie is collected only if you provide it when you contact Meta for account support.
Not stated here
The linked explanations of the camera feature, end-to-end encryption, the in-app browser, purchases and metadata (footnotes 6 to 10) are expanded later in this Policy or on linked pages; only what this source contains is used.
Data Access & Collection · Context
Information you choose to provide may have special legal protections in your jurisdiction
You might choose to provide information about your religious views, sexual orientation, political views, health, racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs or trade union membership. Meta notes that these and other types of information could have special protections under the laws of your jurisdiction. The Policy here does not say how it treats such information differently; it only flags that protections may apply.
Supporting quotations
You might choose to provide information about your religious views, your sexual orientation, political views, health, racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs or trade union membership. These and other types of information could have special protections under the laws of your jurisdiction.
Qualifications & exceptions
Whether special protections apply depends on the laws of your jurisdiction.
Not stated here
Any specific handling rules for this information are not stated in this block.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta collects information about your friends, followers, groups and other connections, on and off its Products
Meta collects information about the friends, followers, groups, accounts, Facebook Pages and other users and communities you are connected to and interact with, on and off Meta Products. This includes how you interact with them across the Products and which ones you interact with the most.
Supporting quotations
We collect information about friends, followers, groups, accounts, Facebook Pages and other users and communities you’re connected to and interact with on and off Meta Products[3]. This includes how you interact with them across our Products and which ones you interact with the most.
Qualifications & exceptions
Covers connections on and off Meta Products.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
If you upload or sync contacts, Meta collects your contacts' names, emails and phone numbers
Meta also collects your contacts' or connections' information, such as their name and email address or phone number, if you choose to upload or import it from a device, for example by syncing an address book. Because of this, people who do not use Meta Products, or who use them without an account, may still have their information collected through other users' uploads.
Supporting quotations
We also collect your contacts’ or connections’ information, such as their name and email address or phone number, if you choose to upload or import it from a device[11], like by syncing an address book.
If you don’t use Meta Products, or use them without an account, your information might still be collected.
Qualifications & exceptions
Collection of contacts' details happens only if you choose to upload or import them from a device.
Not stated here
How Meta uses uploaded contact information is on a linked help page not supplied here.
Inference & Profiling · Company practice
Meta collects and infers information about you from what other people do
Meta collects information about you based on other people's activity, and it also infers things about you from others' activity. Its examples: it might suggest a friend to you through Facebook's People You May Know or Instagram's Discover People if you both appear on a list of contacts or connections that someone uploads, and it takes into account whether your friends belong to a group when it suggests you join it.
Supporting quotations
We collect information about you based on others' activity.
We also infer things about you based on others' activity. For example:
We might suggest a friend to you through Facebook's People You May Know or Instagram’s Discover People if you both appear on a list of contacts or connections that someone uploads.
We take into account whether your friends belong to a group when we suggest you join it.
Qualifications & exceptions
The friend-suggestion example depends on another person uploading a contact or connection list that includes you both.
Not stated here
Footnote 12's further examples are expanded elsewhere in this Policy; only the examples in this section are used here.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta collects device, identifier, signal, network, IP-based location, performance and cookie information
Meta collects and receives information from and about the different devices you use and how you use them. The listed device information is: the device and software you use and other device characteristics; what you are doing on your device, such as whether the app is in the foreground or whether your mouse is moving (which Meta says can help tell humans from bots); identifiers that tell your device apart from other users', including Family Device IDs; signals from your device; information you have shared through device settings, like GPS location, camera access, photos and related metadata; information about the network you connect to and your connection, including your IP address; some location-related information even if Location Services is turned off in your device settings, including using IP addresses to estimate your general location; information about the Products' performance on your device; and information from cookies and similar technologies.
Supporting quotations
We collect and receive information from and about the different devices[11] you use and how you use them.
Device information we collect and receive includes:
The device and software you’re using, and other device characteristics.
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users’, including Family Device IDs.
Signals from your device.
Information you’ve shared with us through device settings, like GPS location, camera access, photos and related metadata[16]
Information about the network you connect your device to and your connection, including your IP address[17].
Some location-related information, even if Location Services is turned off in your device settings. This includes using IP addresses to estimate your general location.
Information about our Products’ performance on your device.
Information from cookies and similar technologies.
Qualifications & exceptions
Location-related information is collected even when Location Services is off, by estimating general location from IP addresses.
GPS location, camera access and photos come through device settings you have shared with Meta.
Not stated here
The examples behind footnotes 13 to 20 appear later in this Policy or on linked pages; what Family Device IDs cover beyond the name is not explained in this block.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta receives information about your on- and off-Product activity from partners and vendors, with or without an account
Meta collects and receives information from partners, measurement vendors, marketing vendors and other third parties about a variety of your information and activities on and off Meta Products. Its examples: your device information; websites you visit and cookie data, like through Social Plugins or the Meta Pixel; apps you use; games you play; purchases and transactions you make off Meta Products using non-Meta checkout experiences; your demographics, like education level; the ads you see and how you interact with them; and how you use partners' and other third parties' products and services, online or in person. Partners also share identifiers like your email address, cookies and advertising device ID, which Meta uses to match your activities with your account if you have one. Meta receives this information whether or not you are logged in or have an account. Partners also share their communications with you when they instruct Meta to provide services to their business, such as helping manage those communications; how a business processes or shares your information is governed by that business's own privacy policy.
Supporting quotations
We collect and receive information from partners[21], measurement vendors, marketing vendors and other third parties[22] about a variety of your information and activities on and off our Products[3].
Here are some examples of information we receive about you:
Your device[11] information
Websites you visit and cookie data, like through Social Plugins or the Meta Pixel
Apps you use
Games you play
Purchases and transactions you make off of our Products using non-Meta checkout experiences
Your demographics, like your education level
The ads you see and how you interact with them
How you use our partners’ and other third parties’ products and services, online or in person
Partners[2] also share information like your email address, cookies[20] and advertising device ID with us. This helps us match your activities with your account, if you have one.
We receive this information whether or not you’re logged in or have an account on our Products.
Partners also share with us their communications with you if they instruct us to provide services to their business, like helping them manage their communications. To learn how a business processes or shares your information, read their privacy policy or contact them directly.
Qualifications & exceptions
Matching to an account happens if you have one; receipt does not depend on being logged in or having an account.
Partner communications are shared only when the partner instructs Meta to provide services to its business.
Not stated here
How Meta connects partner information to your account is on a linked help page not supplied here.
The identity of specific partners and vendors is not stated.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Partners share data through Meta Business Tools, integrations and Audience Network; Meta requires they have the right to
Partners use Meta's Business Tools, integrations and Meta Audience Network technologies to share information with Meta. These partners collect your information when you visit their site or app or use their services, or through other businesses or organisations they work with. Meta says it requires partners to have the right to collect, use and share your information before giving it to Meta.
Supporting quotations
integrations and Meta Audience Network technologies to share information with us.
These partners collect your information when you visit their site or app or use their services, or through other businesses or organizations they work with. We require partners to have the right to collect, use and share your information before giving it to us.
Qualifications & exceptions
The requirement is placed on partners by Meta; the Policy does not describe how it is checked.
Not stated here
The Business Tools page describing which tools are covered is linked, not supplied.
Data Access & Collection · User right or choice
Some information is required for the Products to work; withholding optional information may affect quality
If you do not let Meta collect certain information: some information is required for the Products to work, while other information is optional. Without the optional information, Meta says the quality of your experience might be affected. The Policy does not list here which items are required and which are optional.
Supporting quotations
Some information is required for our Products to work. Other information is optional, but without it, the quality of your experience might be affected.
Qualifications & exceptions
Only the quality of the experience is said to be affected by withholding optional information.
Not stated here
Which information is required and which is optional is not identified in this block; footnote 23 points to further detail not reproduced here.
Use & Processing · Company commitment
Meta uses de-identified or aggregated data from third parties without trying to re-identify people
In some cases, third parties de-identify, aggregate or anonymise information so that it no longer identifies individuals before it is made available to Meta. Meta says it uses that information as described in the Policy without trying to re-identify individuals.
Supporting quotations
In some cases information is de-identified, aggregated, or anonymized by third parties so that it no longer identifies individuals before it’s made available to us. We use this information as described below without trying to re-identify individuals.
Qualifications & exceptions
Applies to information third parties de-identified, aggregated or anonymised before giving it to Meta; the Policy does not say Meta itself de-identifies data here.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Context
'Partner' means anyone using or integrating Meta Products to advertise, market or support their products
The Policy's footnote defines a Partner as a person, business, organisation or body using or integrating Meta Products to advertise, market or support their products and services. This definition governs every use of 'partner' in the collection and sharing cards.
Supporting quotations
Partner
A person, business, organization or body using or integrating our Products to advertise, market or support their products and services
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Without an account, Meta still collects visit logs, device basics and cookie data for security, ads and performance
Even if you do not have an account, you may interact with or use Meta Products, and Meta then collects things like browser and app logs of your visits to public content (such as Facebook Pages and videos) and basic information about devices that downloaded its apps (such as device model and OS). Meta also receives information through cookies and similar technologies, like the Meta Pixel or Social Plugins, when you visit other websites and apps that use its Business Tools or other Meta Products. Meta's examples of why: security (monitoring attempted attacks such as traffic overloads, and spotting someone without an account loading too many pages who may be scraping the site in violation of its terms); safety and integrity (it can act under its Community Standards against someone without an account, and can share information with law enforcement when it believes there is a genuine risk of death or imminent bodily harm); advertising (you may see ads for Meta Company Products through Meta Audience Network on other apps if Meta cannot recognise you as a registered user); and performance (measuring page load speed in different countries to fix local network issues).
Supporting quotations
Even if you don't have an account, you may interact with or use Meta Products[3]. Then we collect things like:
Browser and app logs of your visits to public content, like Facebook Pages and videos
Basic information about devices[11] that downloaded our apps, like device model and OS
We also receive information using cookies and similar technologies, like the Meta Pixel or Social Plugins, when you visit other websites and apps that use our
For example, we collect information to monitor attempted attacks on our systems, such as overloading our servers with traffic.
We can take action according to our Community Standards against someone without an account interacting with Meta Products. For example, we can share information with law enforcement when we believe there is a genuine risk of death or imminent bodily harm.
when you visit other apps if we can’t recognize you as a registered user of the Meta Products.
we collect information when people use our Products, even if they don’t have an account, to measure how fast our pages load in different countries and whether they're working properly.
Qualifications & exceptions
Law-enforcement sharing in this example is tied to a belief of a genuine risk of death or imminent bodily harm.
Audience Network ads for Meta Company Products are shown when Meta cannot recognise you as a registered user.
Not stated here
The Cookies Policy, Business Tools page and Community Standards are linked, not supplied.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Account creation requires a password and email or phone; profile photo and payment details are optional additions
Meta's example of information you provide: when you create a Facebook account you must provide some information, like a password and your email address or phone number. You might choose to add other details, like a profile photo or payment information. Meta also collects information you provide when you create your avatar, fill out a form or contact Meta.
Supporting quotations
For example, when you create a Facebook account, you must provide some information, like a password and your email address or phone number. You might choose to add other details to your account, like a profile photo or payment information.
We also collect information you provide when you:
Create your avatar
Fill out a form
Contact us
Qualifications & exceptions
The required-items example is stated for creating a Facebook account; the Policy covers Instagram too but gives no Instagram-specific list here.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Camera effects process faces to build the effect, not to identify you; voice features also capture background sound
Meta collects information about how you use the Camera feature; for example, if you choose a background effect, it collects information from the camera to apply the effect. If you use the camera or allow access to photos and videos, on certain Meta Products you can add filters, effects, masks or avatars; some of these process parts of faces or bodies within the camera frame, photo or video, for example to fit a mask over the eyes, nose and mouth. Meta says the information used for this is used to create the feature and is not used to identify you. For voice-enabled features, Meta collects the voice interaction, including any background sound that occurs when you say the command; collecting voice interactions lets Meta provide and, depending on your settings, improve the Assistant feature.
Supporting quotations
We collect information about how José uses the Camera feature.
Some of these features process parts of faces or bodies within the camera frame, photo or video. Then they can do things like fit a mask correctly over the eyes, nose and mouth. The information we use for this process is used to create the feature. It’s not used to identify you.
We collect this voice interaction, which includes any background sound that occurs when Ren says the command. Collecting Ren’s voice interactions lets us provide and, depending on Ren’s settings, improve the Assistant feature.
Qualifications & exceptions
Face and body processing for effects is stated as not used to identify you.
Improving the Assistant from voice interactions depends on your settings; providing it does not.
Not stated here
Which setting controls improvement of the Assistant is not named here.
Whether the camera and voice examples (Instagram Camera, smart-glasses Assistant) describe every voice-enabled feature is not stated.
Data Access & Collection · Context
Metadata means details about content and messages, such as where a photo was taken or when a message was sent
The Policy's metadata footnote gives two kinds: information about the content itself, like the location where a photo was taken or the date a file was created, and information about the message itself, like the type of message or the date and time it was sent. The collection card for activity records that Meta collects this metadata subject to applicable law.
Supporting quotations
Metadata
Information about the content itself, like the location where a photo was taken or the date a file was created
Information about the message itself, like the type of message or the date and time it was sent
Data Access & Collection · Context
Generative AI features that are part of AI at Meta are available across Meta Company Products
The AI interactions footnote opens by stating that across Meta Company Products you can interact with Meta's generative AI features and experiences that are part of AI at Meta. The list of what Meta collects and uses when you or others exchange information with these features, or when they perform actions, follows in the next part of the footnote and is carded there.
Supporting quotations
Across Meta Company Products, you can interact with Meta’s generative AI features and experiences that are part of
Not stated here
The AI at Meta page is linked, not supplied.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
When you use AI at Meta features, Meta collects prompts, responses, actions taken, feedback and connected-app data
When you or others use or exchange information with AI at Meta features, or when those features perform actions, Meta collects and uses information such as: prompts, which can include questions, messages, media and other information you or others share with or send to the features; responses and other information you receive from them, sometimes provided with the help of Meta's AI integrations; information relating to the actions the features take, like booking a restaurant reservation or sending an email, including the data the features access or share to take those actions; feedback you give and responses to it; information Meta collects to personalise the features; and information about you and others from third-party apps and services that you connect to Meta Products to enhance your experience, including the AI features.
Supporting quotations
When you or others use, or exchange information with these features, or when they perform actions, we collect and use information, such as:
Prompts that can include questions, messages, media and other information you or others share with or send to these features
Responses and other information you receive from these features. Sometimes these are provided with the help of our AI integrations
Information relating to the actions these features take, like booking you a restaurant reservation or sending an email, including the data these features access or share to take these actions
Feedback you give to these features and responses to your feedback
Information we collect to personalize these features.
Information about you and others from third party apps and services that you connect to Meta Products to enhance your experience, including our features that are part of AI at Meta.
Qualifications & exceptions
Collection covers information that other people exchange with these features, not only your own.
Data accessed or shared to perform an action on your behalf is itself collected.
Not stated here
The personalisation examples and the linked 'Learn more' on connected apps are not reproduced in this block; the AI integrations subsection later in the Policy describes connected apps.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta logs the content you view, the messaging features you use, and Social Plugin, Login, link-history and autofill use
As examples of apps and features you use, Meta logs what apps, posts, videos, ads, games, Shops and other content you view or interact with on its Products; what features you access from its messaging products; and when you use Social Plugins, Facebook Login, in-app browser link history or autofill.
Supporting quotations
For example, we log:
What apps, posts, videos, ads, games, Shops and other content you view or interact with on our Products
What features you access from our messaging products
in-app browser link history or autofill
Not stated here
The Social Plugins and Facebook Login developer pages are linked, not supplied.
Charges & Financial Obligations · Company practice
For purchases and payments, Meta collects card and account details, billing and shipping data and items bought
Meta collects information when you use its Products to buy or sell things or make or receive financial transactions. Examples: purchases within an online game, donations to a friend's fundraiser, purchases in Marketplace, Shops or groups, payments or purchases using Meta Pay or other Meta checkout experiences, and money transfers to friends and family where available. From those transactions Meta collects information like your credit or debit card number and other financial account information, billing, shipping and contact details, the items you bought and how many, and other account and authentication information. Meta collects and stores this to facilitate your purchase, receipt of payments and other financial transactions, to personalise your experience on its Products, for advertising, and to let you access and view your payment and transaction history where available. Depending on your choices, it also stores this information to provide faster and easier payment experiences.
Supporting quotations
We collect information when you use our Products to buy or sell things or make or receive financial transactions.
Some examples are:
Purchases within an online game
Donations to a friend’s fundraiser
Purchases in Marketplace, Shops or groups
Payments or purchases made using Meta Pay or other Meta checkout experiences
Money transfers to friends and family (where available)
we collect information about your purchase or other financial transactions, like:
Credit or debit card number and other financial account information
Billing, shipping and contact details
Items you bought and how many
Other account and authentication information
We collect and store this information to facilitate your purchase, receipt of payments and other financial transactions, to personalize your experience on our Products, for advertising and to allow you to access and view your payment and transaction history, where available. And, depending on your choices, we store this information to provide you faster and easier payment and financial transactions experiences.
Qualifications & exceptions
Money transfers to friends and family are 'where available'.
Storing details for faster, easier payments depends on your choices; the other purposes are not stated as optional.
Not stated here
Which choice controls stored payment details is not named here.
Data Access & Collection · Context
'Device' includes computers, phones, hardware, connected TVs, Meta Quest and other web-connected devices
The Policy's device footnote says devices include computers, phones, hardware, connected TVs, Meta Quest and other web-connected devices. The device-information cards use this meaning.
Supporting quotations
Device
Devices include computers, phones, hardware, connected TVs, Meta Quest and other web-connected devices.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta collects data about you when others tag, message, invite, connect with, block or report you, or upload contacts
Meta's examples of collecting information about you based on others' activity on Meta Products: when others share or comment on a photo you are tagged in; send you a message; invite you to join a conversation; upload their contact or connection information, such as an address book or follower list; invite you to play a game; connect with you, for example as a friend or follower; block or report you; or provide information about you to AI at Meta, including messages and content you have shared.
Supporting quotations
For example, we collect information about you on Meta Products when others:
Share or comment on a photo you’re tagged in
Send you a message
Invite you to join a conversation
Upload their contact or connection information, such as an address book or follower list
Invite you to play a game
Connect with you, for example, as a friend or follower
Block or report you
including messages and content you have shared.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples, not an exhaustive list.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Device characteristics collected include type, OS, hardware, brand, battery, signal, storage, browser, apps and plugins
The device characteristics Meta collects include the type of device, details about its operating system, details about its hardware and software, brand and model, battery level, signal strength, available storage, browser type, app and file names and types, and plugins.
Supporting quotations
We collect device information like:
The type of device
Details about its operating system
Details about its hardware and software
Brand and model
Battery level
Signal strength
Available storage
Browser type
App and file names and types
Plugins
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta collects device and advertiser IDs, Family Device IDs, and GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, beacon and cell tower signals
The identifiers Meta collects include device IDs, mobile advertiser ID or IDs from games, apps or accounts you use. It also collects Family Device IDs or other identifiers unique to Meta Company Products that are associated with the same device or account. Device signals include GPS, Bluetooth signals, nearby Wi-Fi access points, beacons and cell towers.
Supporting quotations
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users’
Identifiers we collect include device IDs, mobile advertiser ID or IDs from games, apps or accounts you use. We also collect Family Device IDs or other identifiers unique to
Device signals
Device signals include GPS, Bluetooth signals, nearby Wi-Fi access points, beacons and cell towers.
Not stated here
The Meta Company Products list is linked, not supplied.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
With camera-roll permission, Meta collects photo and video metadata such as date and time
If you give Meta permission to access your device's camera roll, it collects metadata from and about your photos and videos, including the date and time they were made. Meta uses this to do things like remind you when you have new photos to upload.
Supporting quotations
For example, if you give us permission to access your device’s camera roll, we collect metadata. This metadata is from and about your photos and videos and includes the date and time they were made. We use this to do things like remind you when you have new photos to upload.
Qualifications & exceptions
Depends on you granting camera-roll access.
Data Access & Collection · Context
An IP address is the unique number assigned to your device so it can communicate over the internet
The Policy's footnote explains that an IP address (internet protocol address) is a unique number assigned to a device, like a phone or computer, that allows it to communicate over the internet; numbers are assigned according to standard protocols. Meta compares it to a mailing address needed to receive a letter.
Supporting quotations
IP address
It’s a unique number assigned to a device, like a phone or computer, that allows it to communicate over the internet. Numbers are assigned according to standard guidelines, or protocols.
Just like you need a mailing address to receive a letter from a friend, your device needs an IP address to receive information on the internet.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Network data collected includes ISP, language, time zone, phone number, IP, speed, nearby devices and Wi-Fi hotspots
Information Meta collects about your network and connection includes the name of your mobile operator or internet service provider, language, time zone, mobile phone number, IP address, connection and download speed, network capability, information about other devices that are nearby or on your network, and Wi-Fi hotspots you connect to using Meta Products. Meta says one reason for collecting this is to improve your experience, for example letting you use your phone to control a video stream on your TV when it knows both are on the same network.
Supporting quotations
Information about your network and connection includes:
The name of your mobile operator or internet service provider (ISP)
Language
Time zone
Mobile phone number
IP address
Connection and download speed
Network capability
Information about other devices that are nearby or on your network
Wi-Fi hotspots you connect to using our Products
One reason we collect this information is to make your experience better. For example, if we know that your phone and TV are connected to the same network, we can help you use your phone to control a video stream on your TV.
Qualifications & exceptions
Wi-Fi hotspot collection is stated for hotspots you connect to using Meta Products.
Not stated here
Other reasons beyond the 'one reason' example are not listed here.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta collects app run time, device model and diagnostics to prevent and fix errors and bugs
Meta collects device information to prevent, diagnose, troubleshoot and fix errors and bugs. This includes how long the app was running, what model of device you were using, and other performance and diagnostic information.
Supporting quotations
We collect device information to prevent, diagnose, troubleshoot and fix errors and bugs. This includes how long the app was running, what model of device you were using and other performance and diagnostic information.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta uses cookies, device identifiers, Social Plugins and the Meta Pixel to provide, protect and improve its Products
Cookies are small pieces of text used to store information on web browsers. Meta uses cookies and similar technologies, including data it stores on your web browser or device, identifiers associated with your device and other software, Social Plugins and the Meta Pixel. Meta says they help it provide, protect and improve its Products, such as by personalising content, tailoring and measuring ads and providing a safer experience. Meta collects information from cookies stored on your device, including cookie IDs and settings. The separate Meta Cookies Policy is linked, not supplied.
Supporting quotations
Cookies are small pieces of text used to store information on web browsers. We use cookies and similar technologies, including data that we store on your web browser or device, identifiers associated with your device and other software, Social Plugins and the Meta Pixel. They help us provide, protect and improve our Products, such as by personalizing content, tailoring and measuring ads and providing a safer experience.
We collect information from cookies stored on your device, including cookie IDs and settings.
Not stated here
Cookie choices and the full cookie list are in the linked Cookies Policy, which is not supplied here.
Sharing & Disclosure · Context
Partners use Business Tools and Audience Network; integrated partners connect via Facebook Login or on-platform games
Partners use Meta Products, including Business Tools and other technologies that let businesses advertise or support their products; Business Tools also help partners understand and measure how people use their products and services and how well their ads work, for example by placing the Meta Pixel on their website or using Meta Audience Network tools to monetise their apps with ads from businesses that advertise on Facebook. Integrated partners use the technologies that help you connect to them, such as logging into their app or website with Facebook Login or playing their game on Facebook without leaving the app. Examples of partners and integrated partners: advertisers; businesses and people that sell or offer goods and services on the Products; publishers (like a website or app) and their vendors; app developers; game developers; device manufacturers, internet service providers and mobile network operators; and e-commerce platforms.
Supporting quotations
Our partners[2] use our Products, including our Business Tools and other technologies that allow businesses to advertise or support their products. Business Tools also help our partners understand and measure how people are using their products and services and how well their ads are working. For example, they might put one of our Business Tools, the Meta Pixel, on their website. Or they might use Meta Audience Network tools to monetize their apps by showing ads from businesses that advertise on Facebook.
Integrated partners[24] also use our Products, specifically the technologies that help you make a connection to them. For example, you might log into their app or website using Facebook Login. Or you might play their game on Facebook, which we call an integration because you can play without leaving our app.
Here are some examples:
Advertisers
Businesses and people that use our Products to sell or offer goods and services
Publishers (like a website or app) and their vendors
App developers
Game developers
Device manufacturers, internet service providers and mobile network operators
E-commerce platforms
Qualifications & exceptions
Footnote 24 further defines integrated partners elsewhere in this Policy.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta also gets data from public sources, industry peers, data providers, law enforcement, governments and researchers
Some people, businesses, organisations and bodies share information with Meta without necessarily using its Products. Meta collects and receives information from these other third parties, including publicly available sources like academic papers and public forums; industry peers such as other online platforms and technology companies; marketing and advertising vendors and data providers who have the rights to provide your information; companies or organisations that provide content, including videos, photos and audio; law enforcement; government authorities; professional and non-profit groups like NGOs and charities; and academic and research institutions like universities, non-profit research groups and think tanks. Meta gets datasets from publicly available sources, research institutions, data providers and professional and non-profit groups; the purposes for those datasets follow in the next part of the footnote.
Supporting quotations
Some people, businesses, organizations and bodies share information with Meta but don’t necessarily use our Products. We collect and receive information from these other third parties[25], including:
Publicly available sources, like academic papers and public forums
Industry peers, such as other online platforms and technology companies
Marketing and advertising vendors and data providers, who have the rights to provide us with your information
Companies or organizations that provide content, including videos, photos, and audio
Law enforcement
Government authorities
Professional and non-profit groups, like
Academic and research institutions, like universities, non-profit research groups and think tanks
We get datasets from publicly available sources, research institutions, data providers and professional and non-profit groups. We use these datasets to:
Qualifications & exceptions
Marketing vendors and data providers are described as those who have the rights to provide your information.
Not stated here
The uses of third-party datasets are listed after this packet and are carded there.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta uses third-party datasets to stop scraping, protect safety, improve AI, run analytics and follow up surveys
Meta gets datasets from publicly available sources, research institutions, data providers and professional and non-profit groups, and uses them to detect and stop scraping in violation of its terms; to take other actions to promote the safety, security and integrity of its Products, users, the public and its personnel and property; to improve its AI technologies and support AI research and product development, such as translations, computer vision, content understanding, natural language processing, and tools for people and businesses to create content; to undertake analytics; and to engage with research survey respondents who choose to participate in additional conversations.
Supporting quotations
We get datasets from publicly available sources, research institutions, data providers and professional and non-profit groups. We use these datasets to:
in violation of our terms
Take other actions to promote the safety, security and integrity of our Products, our users, the public and our personnel and property
Improve our AI technologies and support AI research and product development, such as translations, computer vision, content understanding, natural language processing, and tools for people and businesses to create content
Undertake analytics
Engage with research survey respondents who choose to participate in additional conversations
Qualifications & exceptions
Follow-up with survey respondents is limited to those who choose to participate in additional conversations.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Without an email, phone number or age Meta cannot create your account; skipping friends limits your Feed
Meta's examples of what happens if you do not let it collect certain information: if you do not provide your email address, phone number or age, it will not be able to create an account for you to use its Products; and if you choose not to add Facebook friends, your Facebook Feed will not show friends' photos and status updates.
Supporting quotations
For example, if you don’t provide your email address, phone number or age, we won’t be able to create an account for you to use our Products.
Or you can choose not to add Facebook friends, but then your Facebook Feed won’t show friends’ photos and status updates.
Qualifications & exceptions
The Feed example is specific to Facebook.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Context
'Integrated partner' means a partner using plugins, login, checkout, instant games or similar connection technologies
The footnote defines an integrated partner as a partner who uses technologies that help you make a connection to them through Meta Products, including plugins, login, checkout experiences, instant games and other such integrations.
Supporting quotations
Integrated partner
A partner who uses technologies that help you make a connection to them through our Products, including plugins, login, checkout experiences, instant games, and other such integrations
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Context
'Third party' means a person, business, organisation or body that is not part of the Meta Companies
The footnote defines a third party as a person, business, organisation or body that is not part of the Meta Companies. The Meta Companies are described later in the Policy.
Supporting quotations
Third party
A person, business, organization or body that is not part of the Meta Companies
Use & Processing · Company practice
Summary: Meta uses your information to personalize, improve, keep people safe, message you if allowed, and research
In its summary of how it uses information, Meta lists: personalizing your experience (for example suggesting reels or communities, or making responses from its AI at Meta features more relevant); improving its Products by applying information about what you use them to do and what else is happening on your device when its app crashes; working to prevent harmful behavior and keep people safe; sending you messages about Products you use or might like, if you let it; and research for the good of people around the world, such as advancing technology or helping in a crisis. These are highlights; the detailed purposes follow in the rest of the section.
Supporting quotations
Here are some of the ways we use your information:
We personalize your experience, like by suggesting reels to watch, communities to join, or providing more relevant responses from our features that are part of
We improve our Products by applying information about what you use them to do, and what else is happening on your device when our app crashes
We work to prevent harmful behavior and keep people safe on our Products
We send you messages about the Products you use or ones you might like, if you let us
We research for the good of people around the world, like to advance technology or to help out in a crisis
Qualifications & exceptions
Product marketing messages are conditioned on 'if you let us'.
The highlights are introduced as 'some of the ways', not a complete list.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta uses information across its Products and your devices, mostly automatically but sometimes with manual review
Meta uses the information it collects to provide a personalized experience, including ads, along with the other purposes the section explains. For some of these purposes it uses information across its Products and across your devices. The information is automatically processed by its systems, but in some cases Meta also uses manual review to access and review your information.
Supporting quotations
We use information we collect to provide a personalized experience to you, including ads, along with the other purposes we explain in detail below.
For some of these purposes, we use information across our Products
The information we use for these purposes is automatically processed by our systems. But in some cases, we also use manual review
to access and review your information.
Qualifications & exceptions
Cross-Product and cross-device use applies to 'some of these purposes', which this passage does not list.
Manual review happens 'in some cases'; the passage does not say which cases or who performs it.
Not stated here
The footnotes marked [26]-[28] (Products, devices, manual review) are not part of this passage, so their detail is not reflected here.
Use & Processing · Company practice
De-identified, aggregated or anonymized information is used in the same ways, including for ads
To use less information connected to individual users, Meta says that in some cases it de-identifies, aggregates or anonymizes information so that it no longer identifies you. It then uses that information in the same ways it uses your information as described in the section. It separately states that it uses information that has been de-identified, aggregated or anonymized so it no longer identifies individuals to show you ads.
Supporting quotations
To use less information that’s connected to individual users, in some cases we de-identify or aggregate information or anonymize it so that it no longer identifies you. We use this information in the same ways we use your information as described in this section.
We also use information that's been de-identified, aggregated, or anonymized so that it no longer identifies individuals, to show you ads.
Qualifications & exceptions
De-identification is done 'in some cases', not for all information.
Not stated here
The policy does not describe the de-identification or anonymization methods here.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta uses information to run, troubleshoot and personalize its Products, including Feeds, Meta AI, Stories and ads
Under the purpose 'to provide, personalize and improve our Products', Meta uses information it has to provide and improve its Products. This includes checking whether the Products work correctly (troubleshooting and fixing problems) and personalizing features, content and recommendations, such as your Facebook Feed, Instagram Feed, Meta AI, Stories and ads. Information with special protections that you choose to provide is used for these purposes, but not to show you ads.
Supporting quotations
To provide, personalize and improve our Products
We use information we have to provide and improve our Products
Seeing if our Products are working correctly, such as troubleshooting, and fixing it when it’s not working
Personalizing features, content and
, Meta AI, Stories and ads.
We use information with special protections you choose to provide for these purposes, but not to show you ads.
Qualifications & exceptions
Information with special protections that you choose to provide is excluded from showing you ads.
Use & Processing · Restriction or exception
Information with special protections you provide is not used to show you ads
Meta says it uses information with special protections that you choose to provide for the purposes of providing, personalizing and improving its Products, but not to show you ads.
Supporting quotations
We use information with special protections you choose to provide for these purposes, but not to show you ads.
Qualifications & exceptions
The limit covers information with special protections that you choose to provide; it is stated as a limit on showing ads, not on the other provide-and-improve purposes.
Not stated here
Which information counts as having special protections is described in the collection section, not in this sentence.
You see ads and sponsored content on Meta Products and, through Audience Network, in other apps
When you use Meta Products you see ads and sponsored or commercial content, such as product listings in Shops. Meta personalizes your ads on and across Meta Company Products. You also see ads shown through Meta Audience Network, or commercial content, when you visit other apps. Meta uses your information to show you ads paid for by advertisers, businesses and organizations.
Supporting quotations
How we show ads and other sponsored or commercial content
When you use our Products, you see ads and sponsored or commercial content, like product listings in Shops. Meta personalizes your ads on and across Meta Company Products. You also see ads shown through
or commercial content when you visit other apps. We use your information to show you ads paid for by advertisers, businesses, and organizations.
Inference & Profiling · Company practice
Ads are chosen using your profile, on- and off-Product activity, content, AI chats, inferences and connections
To decide what ads to show you and others, Meta uses information it has about you, including: your profile information; your activity on and off its Products, including information received through cookies and similar technologies, according to your settings; content you create or interact with across Facebook and Instagram; your interactions with its AI at Meta features; things it infers about you, like topics it thinks you may be interested in; and information about your friends, followers or other connections, including their activity or interests. It also uses de-identified, aggregated or anonymized information to show you ads, and points to a separate help page about ways it shows ads, including using machine learning. Information with special protections that you choose to provide is not used to show you ads.
Supporting quotations
To decide what to show you and others, we use information we have about you, including:
Your profile information
Your activity on and off our Products, including information we receive through cookies and similar technologies, according to your settings
Content you create or interact with across Facebook and Instagram
Interactions with our features that are part of
Things we infer about you, like topics we think you may be interested in
Information about your friends, followers or other connections, including their activity or interests
about some of the ways we show you ads that we think may be interesting to you, including using machine learning.
We use information with special protections you choose to provide for these purposes, but not to show you ads.
Qualifications & exceptions
Off-Product activity received through cookies and similar technologies is used 'according to your settings'.
The list is introduced with 'including', so it is not exhaustive.
Information with special protections you choose to provide is not used to show you ads (stated in the provide-and-improve part of the section).
Not stated here
The linked help page on machine learning in ads is not supplied.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta uses collected information to develop, test and get feedback on products, and for surveys and research
Meta says information it collects from you helps it learn how to make Meta Products better and create new ones. Its examples: developing and improving products and features; building and testing new products and features to see if they work; getting feedback on its ideas for products or features; and conducting surveys and other research on what it can do better for Meta Products and brands.
Supporting quotations
How we use information to improve Meta Products
We’re always trying to make Meta Products better and create new ones with the features you want. Information we collect from you helps us learn how.
For example, we use information we collect to:
Develop and improve products and features
Build and test out new products and features to see if they work
Get feedback on our ideas for products or features
Conduct surveys and other research on what we can do better for Meta Products and brands
Qualifications & exceptions
These are introduced as examples ('For example'), not a complete list.
Inference & Profiling · Company practice
Meta uses your interests, activity, connections, device and partner data to tailor Meta AI responses and actions
Meta uses information it has, including about your interests and preferences, to make responses and actions from its AI at Meta features more relevant. The categories named are your activity and information you provide; friends, followers and other connections; app, browser and device information; and information from partners, vendors and third parties. Meta's example: when a user asks Meta AI for a dinner recommendation, Meta AI uses her location-related information, plus that she recently told Meta AI she loves Italian food and has been liking Instagram posts about modern fine dining, to suggest a nearby upscale Italian bistro, and then offers to book a table. The example shows information from Instagram activity and earlier Meta AI chats being combined to personalize an AI response.
Supporting quotations
We use information we have, including about your interests and preferences, to help make responses and actions from our features that are part of
more relevant, such as:
Your activity and information you provide
Friends, followers and other connections
App browser and device information
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
For example, Anna is looking for a place to eat and asks Meta AI to recommend a restaurant for dinner. Meta AI uses Anna's
To make the restaurant suggestion even more relevant, Meta AI also uses additional information including that Anna recently told Meta AI she loves Italian food, and that she has lately been liking Instagram posts featuring modern fine dining. By using her interests, location and profile, Meta AI is able to respond to Anna with a relevant suggestion of a highly-rated, upscale Italian bistro nearby. Meta AI then also offers to book Anna a table at that restaurant.
Qualifications & exceptions
The categories are introduced with 'such as'; the list is not exhaustive.
The restaurant scenario is Meta's illustration, not a description of every AI interaction.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
With Location Services on, Meta uses GPS and, depending on your operating system, other device signals
Meta uses location-related information that you allow it to receive if you turn on the Location Services device setting. This includes things like your GPS location and, depending on the operating system you are using, other device signals.
Supporting quotations
We use location-related information that you allow us to receive if you turn on the Location Services device setting. This includes things like your GPS location and, depending on the operating system you're using, other device signals
Qualifications & exceptions
This applies when you turn on the Location Services device setting.
Which other device signals are used depends on your operating system.
Not stated here
The footnote [31] describing the other device signals is not part of this passage.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Even with Location Services off, Meta uses IP addresses, check-ins and details you enter to place you
Meta receives and uses some location-related information even if Location Services is turned off. This includes: IP addresses, which it uses to estimate your general location, and which it can use to estimate your specific location if that is necessary to protect the safety and security of you or others; your and others' activity on its Products, like check-ins and events; and information you give it directly, like your current city on your profile or an address you provide in Marketplace.
Supporting quotations
We also receive and use some location-related information even if Location Services is turned off. This includes:
, which we use to estimate your general location. We can use IP addresses to estimate your specific location if it’s necessary to protect the safety and security of you or others.
Your and others' activity on our Products, like check-ins and events
Information you give us directly, like if you enter your current city on your profile, or provide your address in Marketplace
Qualifications & exceptions
Turning off Location Services does not stop this location-related information from being received and used.
Specific-location estimates from IP addresses are limited to when it is necessary to protect the safety and security of you or others; otherwise IP addresses estimate general location.
Other people's activity, such as check-ins and events, can also reveal location information about you.
Location information is used to personalize Products and ads for you and others and to secure accounts
Meta uses location-related information, such as your current location, where you live, the places you like to go and the businesses and people you are near, for the purposes described in the policy's 'How do we use your information?' section. Its examples are providing, personalizing and improving its Products, including ads, for you and others, and detecting suspicious activity and helping keep your account secure.
Supporting quotations
We use location-related information, such as your current location, where you live, the places you like to go and the businesses and people you're near, to do the things described in the
Provide, personalize and improve our Products, including ads, for you and others.
Detect suspicious activity and help keep your account secure.
Qualifications & exceptions
The two uses are introduced with 'like'; location can serve any purpose in the use section.
Your location information can be used to personalize Products and ads for other people as well as for you.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta also uses information for safety, business measurement, communicating with you and research
Meta lists further purposes: to promote safety, security and integrity (helping protect people from harm and providing safe, secure Products); to provide measurement, analytics and business services (helping people who run or promote businesses or share content measure how well their ads and other content, products and services are working); to communicate with you, using information you have given it such as contact information on your profile; and to research and innovate for social good, using information it has, information from researchers and datasets from publicly available sources, professional groups and non-profit groups to conduct and support research.
Supporting quotations
To promote safety, security and integrity
We use information we collect to help protect people from harm and provide safe, secure Products.
To provide measurement, analytics and business services
Lots of people rely on our Products to run or promote their businesses or share content. We help them measure how well their ads and other content, products and services are working.
To communicate with you
We communicate with you using information you've given us, like contact information you've entered on your profile.
To research and innovate for social good
We use information we have, information from researchers and datasets from publicly available sources, professional groups and non-profit groups to conduct and support research.
Qualifications & exceptions
Each purpose links to a 'Learn more' detail that is summarized separately where it appears in the policy.
Security & Safeguards · Company practice
Meta verifies accounts, identity and activity; you can choose facial-recognition verification
Among the ways Meta promotes safety, security and integrity, it works to verify accounts, identity and activity. It points to a separate page about how you can choose to verify your account or identity through facial recognition technology.
Supporting quotations
Here are some ways we promote safety, security and integrity. We work to:
Verify accounts, identity and activity.
about how you can choose to verify your account or identity through facial recognition technology.
Qualifications & exceptions
Facial-recognition verification is described as something you can choose.
Not stated here
The linked page on facial recognition verification is not supplied, so its conditions are not described here.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta finds terms violations; the Oversight Board may use Meta's information when reviewing some decisions
Meta works to find and address violations of its terms or policies. In some cases its decisions about violations are reviewed by the Oversight Board, which may use information Meta has when it reviews those decisions. Meta links to the Oversight Board's own page about how the Board processes information.
Supporting quotations
Find and address violations of our terms or policies. In some cases, the decisions we make about violations are reviewed by the
They may use information we have when they review our decisions.
Qualifications & exceptions
Oversight Board review happens 'in some cases'.
The Board 'may' use information Meta has; the passage does not specify which information.
Not stated here
The Oversight Board's data policy is a linked external page and is not supplied.
Security & Safeguards · Company practice
Meta uses information to fight harmful or unlawful behavior, spam, bias, threats and to help people in need
Continuing its list of ways it promotes safety, security and integrity, Meta says it works to: investigate suspicious activity; detect, prevent and combat harmful or unlawful behavior; identify and combat disparities and racial bias against historically marginalized communities; detect and prevent spam and other bad experiences; detect when someone needs help and provide support; detect and stop threats to its personnel and property; and maintain the integrity of its Products.
Supporting quotations
Investigate suspicious activity.
Detect, prevent and combat harmful or unlawful behavior
Identify and combat disparities and racial bias
against historically marginalized communities
Detect and prevent spam and other bad experiences
Detect when someone needs help
and provide support
Detect and stop threats to our personnel and property
Maintain the integrity of our Products
about how we work to keep Meta a safe place for everyone.
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is introduced as 'some ways' Meta promotes safety, security and integrity.
Not stated here
The linked pages on bias measurement, suicide prevention and transparency are not supplied.
Security & Safeguards · Company practice
Meta uses face analysis to help protect you and others from impersonation and identity misuse
In its safety list, Meta refers to face analysis and how it uses it to help protect you and others from impersonation and identity misuse, linking to separate pages for the details.
Supporting quotations
Learn more about face analysis and how we use it to help
from impersonation and identity misuse.
Qualifications & exceptions
The policy states only the protective purpose (impersonation and identity misuse); the conditions are on linked pages.
Not stated here
The linked face analysis pages are not supplied, so when face analysis runs, on whose images, and any opt-in or opt-out are not described here.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta uses information across your accounts to give partners measurement and analytics, and for business services
To provide measurement and analytics services, Meta uses the information it collects about you across your accounts on its Products. These services help its partners and users understand things like: how many people see and interact with their products, services or content (including posts, videos, Facebook Pages, listings, Shops and ads, including ads shown through apps using Meta Audience Network); how people interact with their content, websites, apps and services; what types of people interact with their content or use their services; and how people use partners' products and services to connect to Meta Products, including connection and network performance and users' experience. Meta also uses the information it collects to provide business services.
Supporting quotations
Providing measurement, analytics and business services
To provide measurement and analytics services, we use the information we collect about you across your accounts on our Products.
Our measurement and analytics services help our partners
and users understand things like:
How many people see and interact with their products, services or content, including posts, videos, Facebook Pages, listings, Shops and ads (including those shown through apps using
How people interact with their content, websites, apps and services
What types of people
interact with their content or use their services
How people use our partners' products and services to connect to Meta Products, the performance of their connection and networks and users' experience with them
We also use the information we collect to provide business services.
Qualifications & exceptions
The list of insights is introduced with 'things like' and is not exhaustive.
Not stated here
Whether partners receive individual-level or only aggregated results is not stated in this passage.
The footnotes on partners [35] and types of people [36] are outside this passage.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta emails you about Products, marketing per your settings, research invites, policy notices and support
Meta gives examples of how it communicates with you: it sends messages about the Products it knows you use, using the email you register to your account; depending on your settings, it sends marketing communications about Products you might like; it asks you to participate in research based on things like how you use its Products; it tells you about its policies and terms of service; it replies to your email when you contact it with questions; and it facilitates customer support communications when you have told it, directly or through a third party, that you have questions or concerns about its Products.
Supporting quotations
Communicating with you
We communicate with you in a few different ways. For example:
We send messages about the Products we know you use, using the email you register to your account
Depending on your settings, we send marketing communications about Products you might like
We ask you to participate in research based on things like how you use our Products
We let you know about our policies and terms of service
When you contact us with questions, we reply to your email
We facilitate customer support communications with you when you've told us, either directly or through a third party
, that you have questions or concerns about our Products
Qualifications & exceptions
Marketing communications depend on your settings.
These are examples ('For example'), not a complete list.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta tracks how you interact with its messages, such as opening its emails
Meta also uses information about how you interact with its messages, like whether you open an email from it, to understand the best way to reach you and whether its communications are helpful.
Supporting quotations
We also use information about how you interact with our messages, like if you open an email from us. This helps us understand the best way to reach you and whether our communications are helpful.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta researches for social good, such as crisis movement analysis, election studies, rural internet and AI
Meta says it researches and innovates to help people around the world, with goals including contributing to social good and areas of public interest, advancing technology, and improving safety, health and well-being. Its examples: analyzing information about where groups of people go during crises to help relief organizations get aid to the right places; working with independent researchers to understand social media's possible impact on elections and democratic processes; collaborating with academics and industry experts to improve internet access and quality in rural areas; and supporting research in areas like artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Supporting quotations
Researching and innovating for social good
We research and innovate to help people around the world. Our goals include:
Contributing to social good and areas of public interest
Advancing technology
Improving safety, health and well-being
Here are some examples of our research:
We analyze information
about where groups of people go during crises. This helps relief organizations get aid to the right places.
We work with independent researchers to better understand the impact social media might have on elections and democratic processes
We’ve collaborated with academics and industry experts to help improve internet access and quality in rural areas
We support research in areas like artificial intelligence and machine learning
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of research, not a complete list.
The crisis example concerns where groups of people go.
Not stated here
Whether information shared with independent researchers or academics identifies individuals is not stated in this passage.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
Meta combines data across your accounts to personalize and measure ads, tailor features, count users and for safety
In the footnote on using information across its Products, Meta says it uses information across your accounts on its Products to: personalize ads for you and others; measure the performance of those ads; provide more personalized features, content and suggestions across its Products; more accurately count people and understand how they use its Products; and help keep you and others safe.
Supporting quotations
information across your accounts on our Products
Personalize ads for you and others.
Measure the performance of those ads.
Provide more personalized features, content and suggestions across our Products.
More accurately count people and understand how they use our Products
Help keep you and others safe.
Qualifications & exceptions
Information across your accounts is used to personalize ads for other people as well as for you.
Not stated here
The linked Accounts Center page describing which information is used across accounts is not supplied.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
Adding accounts to the same Accounts Center lets Meta use your information for connected experiences across them
If you add accounts to the same Accounts Center, Meta also uses your information to offer connected experiences and improve your experiences across those accounts. The policy links to instructions for adding or deleting accounts in Accounts Center.
Supporting quotations
If you add accounts to the same
, we also use your information to offer
and improve your experiences across accounts.
How to add or delete accounts in your Accounts Center
Qualifications & exceptions
This additional use applies if you add accounts to the same Accounts Center.
Not stated here
The linked pages on connected experiences and on managing Accounts Center are not supplied.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
Meta combines information across your devices, for example linking an ad seen on a phone to a purchase on a laptop
One reason Meta uses your information across devices is to give you a more personalized experience. Its example: it might show you an ad on your phone, and you later use your laptop to click the ad and buy the product. By combining that information across your devices, Meta can understand which ads are relevant to you and help businesses measure how well their ad performed.
Supporting quotations
Why we use information across devices
One reason we use your information across devices
is to help us give you a more personalized experience. For example, we might show you an ad on your phone, and later you might use your laptop to click on the ad and buy the product. By combining that information across your devices, we can understand what ads are relevant to you and help businesses measure how well their ad performed.
Qualifications & exceptions
Personalization is given as 'one reason'; other reasons for cross-device use are not listed here.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Human reviewers check reported content, posts flagged as someone needing help, and content used to train algorithms
Meta's examples of manual review: reviewers help promote safety, security and integrity, for example by looking for and removing content that violates its terms and policies and keeping content that does not, supplementing its violation-detecting technology; when its algorithms detect that someone might need help, a reviewer can review their post and offer support if needed; and Meta also uses manual review to analyze content to train its algorithms to review content the way a person would, which improves its automatic processing and in turn its products.
Supporting quotations
Manual review
Examples of when we use manual review
Our reviewers help us promote safety, security and integrity across our Products. For example, reviewers can look for and remove content that violates our terms and policies and keep content that doesn’t break our terms and policies available. Their work supplements our
When our algorithms detect that
, a reviewer can review their post and offer support if needed.
We also use manual review to analyze content to train our algorithms to review content the same way a person would. This improves our automatic processing, which in turn helps us improve our products.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of when manual review is used, not a complete list.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company commitment
Reviewers may work at Meta, a Meta Company or a trusted service provider and must meet privacy and security standards
Meta's manual reviewers work at Meta, for Meta Companies, or for a trusted service provider. Meta says it requires every reviewer who is allowed access to your information to meet privacy and security standards.
Supporting quotations
Who reviews this information
Our reviewers work at Meta, for
or for a trusted service provider
We require every reviewer who's allowed access to your information to meet privacy and security standards.
Not stated here
The privacy and security standards reviewers must meet are not described in this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · User right or choice
Sellers share your purchases via Business Tools for Instagram ads; you can hide an advertiser or turn off off-site ads
Under the heading for ads based on your activity on third-party websites and apps, depending on your settings, Meta's example: a user buys shoes from an online store or in an online chat with a seller; the seller shares her activity with Meta using its Business Tools, subject to its Business Tools Terms; later she sees an Instagram ad for a discount from that store. If she does not want to see that store's ads again she can hide them in her Advertisers setting, and if she does not want Meta to show her any ads based on her activity on other websites and apps, she can make sure that setting is turned off in her Ad preferences.
Supporting quotations
Your activity on third-party websites and apps, depending on your settings
For example, Jane buys a pair of shoes from an online shoe store or in an online chat with a shoe seller. The seller shares Jane’s activity with us using our Business Tools, subject to our Business Tools Terms.
Later, Jane sees an ad on Instagram for a discount on her next shoe purchase from the online store.
If she doesn't want to see ads from this shoe store again, she can hide them in her
. Or if she doesn’t want us to show her any ads based on her activity on other websites and apps, she can make sure that this setting is turned off in her
Qualifications & exceptions
Ads based on activity on third-party websites and apps depend on your settings.
Hiding an advertiser in the Advertisers setting stops ads from that advertiser; the Ad preferences setting covers ads based on activity on other websites and apps.
Not stated here
The Business Tools Terms are referenced but not supplied.
Inference & Profiling · Company practice
Facebook check-ins and Page likes can drive Instagram ads and inferred interests; you can manage ad topics
Meta's ad examples: a user checks into a local bakery on Facebook, so Meta might later show him Instagram ads for other local bakeries; another user likes several Facebook Pages about famous musicians, so Meta thinks he is interested in 'music' and might show him an ad for a local record shop or online music publication. He can manage his interests in his ad topics setting.
Supporting quotations
Your activity on our Products
For example, William checks into a local bakery on Facebook, so later we might show him ads on Instagram for other local bakeries.
Topics we think you might be interested in
For example, Jon likes several Facebook Pages about famous musicians, so we think he has an interest in "music."
Based on this interest, we might show him an ad for a local record shop or an online music publication.
Jon can manage his interests in his
Qualifications & exceptions
The examples use 'might'; they illustrate possible ad selection, not a guaranteed outcome.
Inference & Profiling · Company practice
Your friends' activity, such as liking an Instagram account, can shape the ads Meta shows you
Meta's example for using your connections in ads: a user's friend likes an Instagram account for a local art fair, and based on her friend's activity Meta might show her an ad for the art fair.
Supporting quotations
Your connections
For example, Fiona’s friend likes an Instagram account for a local art fair. Based on her friend’s activity, we might show Fiona an ad for the art fair.
Qualifications & exceptions
The example uses 'might'; it illustrates a possible outcome.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Other device signals include nearby Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections, varying by operating system
In the footnote on other device signals, Meta says it receives different types of device signals from different operating systems, including things like nearby Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections. These are among the location-related signals it uses when you turn on Location Services.
Supporting quotations
Other device signals we receive
We receive different types of device signals from different operating systems. They include things like nearby Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections.
Qualifications & exceptions
The signals received vary by operating system.
'Things like' means the list is not exhaustive.
Use & Processing · Company practice
GPS is used for features and local ads; with Location Services off, IP-based location still drives nearby ads
Meta's example: a traveler who has turned on Location Services and allowed location access in the Facebook app uses Find Wi-Fi at an airport, and Meta uses his GPS information to find relevant public Wi-Fi and also to show him ads for local businesses near the airport. After he turns off Location Services, Meta no longer collects his GPS information, but when he later opens the Facebook app it can use the IP address it receives to estimate his general location and show him ads for nearby businesses.
Supporting quotations
Personalizing ads for you and others
For example, Marcus is going on a trip and wants to use Find Wi-Fi to find free, public Wi-Fi at the airport. He has turned on Location Services on his device and allowed location access on the Facebook app, so we can use his GPS information to help him find the most relevant public Wi-Fi networks. We’ll also use this information to show him ads for local businesses near the airport.
Later, Marcus turns off Location Services before he lands, so we don’t collect his GPS information anymore. Later on his trip, he opens the Facebook app, and we can use the IP address we receive to estimate Marcus’ general location and show him ads for businesses nearby.
Qualifications & exceptions
GPS use depends on Location Services being on and location access being allowed in the app.
Turning off Location Services stops GPS collection but not IP-based general-location estimates used for ads.
Security & Safeguards · Company practice
Meta uses your usual login locations to detect suspicious logins and check it is really you
Meta uses information about the locations you normally log in from, combined with other information, to detect suspicious activity. If it detects an attempt to log into your account from a new location, it can check that it is really you.
Supporting quotations
Helping to keep your account secure
For example, we use information about the locations you normally log in from, combined with other information, to detect suspicious activity. So if we detect an attempt to log into your account from a new location, we can check that it’s really you.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Advertisers can be told the kinds of people who saw their ad, by age range, city, gender and interests
Meta's example of information it provides about different types of people: it might tell an advertiser that the advertiser's ad was seen by women aged 25 to 34 who live in Madrid and like software engineering.
Supporting quotations
Information we provide about different types of people
For example, we might tell an advertiser that their ad was seen by women aged 25–34 who live in Madrid and like software engineering.
Qualifications & exceptions
The example describes group-level characteristics; it does not say individuals are named.
Not stated here
Minimum group sizes or other limits on these audience descriptions are not stated.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
Across Products Meta can autofill sign-up details, let others find your name and photo, and group cross-post activity
Meta's examples of more personalized features across its Products: automatically filling in registration information, like your phone number, from one Meta Product when you sign up for an account on a different Product; letting others see and search your name and profile photo across its Products and communicate with you; and showing all interactions in one place for content you have cross-posted to different Products.
Supporting quotations
Providing more personalized features, content and suggestions across our Products
For example we can:
Automatically fill in registration information, like your phone number, from one Meta Product when you sign up for an account on a different Product
Let others see and search your name and profile photo across our Products and communicate with you
Show all interactions in one place for content you’ve cross-posted to different Products
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples ('For example we can'), not a complete list.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
With accounts in one Accounts Center, Instagram follows can drive Facebook suggestions
Meta's example of using your information when you add accounts to the same Accounts Center: if you follow your favorite team on Instagram, it can more easily suggest that you follow that team's Page on Facebook.
Supporting quotations
Using your information if you add accounts to the same Accounts Center
For example, if you follow your favorite team on Instagram, we can more easily suggest that you follow that team’s Page on Facebook.
about how we use information across accounts if you add accounts to the same Accounts Center.
Qualifications & exceptions
Applies if you add accounts to the same Accounts Center.
Not stated here
The linked Accounts Center page is not supplied.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Context
'Service provider' means anyone providing services to Meta or to users on Meta's behalf
The policy defines a service provider as a person, business, organization or body that provides services to Meta or to its users on Meta's behalf, for example investigating suspicious activity and providing customer support.
Supporting quotations
Service provider
A person, business, organization or body that provides services to Meta or to our users on behalf of Meta. For example, our service providers do things like investigate suspicious activity and provide customer support.
Sharing & Disclosure · User right or choice
You choose what to share on Meta Products or with integrated partners, who may ask for details like email or birthday
Meta's summary of sharing on its Products and with integrated partners: you can choose to share information on its Products or with integrated partners, and it reminds you to share only with people you trust. You might use a product that integrates with one of Meta's, such as using Facebook Login to log into a music service or shopping site; if you do, that organization will ask to receive some information about you, like your email address or birthday.
Supporting quotations
You can choose to share information on our Products or with integrated partners
Remember to share only with people you trust
You might decide to use a product that integrates with one of ours, like if you use Facebook Login to log into a music service or a shopping site
If you do, that organization will ask you to receive some information about you, like your email address or birthday
Qualifications & exceptions
The integrated organization's request applies if you decide to use its integrated product.
Sharing & Disclosure · User right or choice
You can sometimes choose an audience; it sees your posts, photos, videos, stories, shared articles and profile details
When you share and communicate using Meta Products, you can sometimes choose the audience for what you share. When you interact with people or businesses, the audience you choose can see, for example, when you share a post you have written, share a photo or video, create a story, share a news article, or add information to your profile.
Supporting quotations
On Meta Products
People and accounts you share and communicate with
When you share and communicate using our Products, you can sometimes choose the audience
When you interact with people or businesses, they can see:
What you share with them
For example, the audience you choose can see when you:
Share a post you’ve written
Share a photo or video
Create a story
Share a news article
Add information to your profile
Qualifications & exceptions
Audience choice is available 'sometimes', not for everything you share.
The listed items are examples.
Not stated here
The footnote [43] on audience is outside this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · Context
People and businesses you message on Messenger or Instagram can read your messages
People you interact with can see what you send them. If you send a person or a business a message on Messenger or Instagram, that person or business can read it.
Supporting quotations
What you communicate with them
People you interact with can see what you send to them. So if you send a person or a business a message on Messenger or Instagram, that person or business can read your message.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Others can see your comments, reactions, ad engagement, story views and new Meta device connections
People and businesses can also see some of your activity on Meta Products, including when you comment on or react to others' posts; engage with ads or other sponsored or commercial content, such as by commenting or liking; allow content you have shared about a product in a Shop to be shared across Meta Products; view their story on Facebook or Instagram; and connect a new Meta device, like smart glasses, to your account.
Supporting quotations
Some of your activity
People and businesses can also see some of your activity on our Products. This includes when you:
Comment on or react to others’ posts
Engage with ads or other sponsored or commercial content, like by commenting or liking
Allow content you've shared about a product in a Shop to be shared across our Products
View their story on Facebook or Instagram
Connect a new Meta device, like smart glasses, to your account
Qualifications & exceptions
The passage does not say which people or businesses see each type of activity.
Sharing & Disclosure · User right or choice
Settings on some Products can let others see when you are active or when you last used a Product
Some Meta Products might provide settings that let others see when you are active, such as 'active status'. In some cases Meta also offers settings that let others see when you are active in a particular section of a Product, like a message thread, game or event, or when you last used one of its Products. The policy links to instructions for updating Active Status on Facebook and Messenger and Activity Status on Instagram.
Supporting quotations
When you’re active
Some of our Products might provide you with settings that allow others to see when you're active on our Products, such as “active status.” In some cases, we also offer settings that allow others to see when you’re active in a particular section of one of our Products, like a message thread, game or event, or when you last used one of our Products.
, or how to update your Activity Status on
Qualifications & exceptions
These are settings that some Products 'might' provide; the passage does not state the default.
Not stated here
Whether these settings are on by default is not stated in this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
When you interact with a supervised user, their parent or guardian can see some of your information
Some accounts are supervised. When you interact with a supervised user, their parent or guardian can see some of your activity and information, which can include your username, profile picture and whether the supervised user blocked you. On some Products, the supervised user can let their parent or guardian know if they reported you.
Supporting quotations
When you interact with a supervised user
Some accounts are supervised
. When you interact with a supervised user, their parent or guardian can see some of your activity and information. This can include information like your username, profile picture and if the supervised user blocked you. On some Products, the supervised user can let their parent or guardian know if they reported you.
Qualifications & exceptions
Applies when you interact with a supervised account.
Reporting notifications to the guardian are available only on some Products.
Not stated here
The footnote [44] on supervision is outside this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · Context
Your audience can download, screenshot or reshare your content with anyone, and posters can change audiences later
People in your audience can view your content and choose to share it with others outside your audience, on and off Meta Products. For example, when you share a post or send a message to specific friends, they can download, screenshot or reshare it with anyone, including by using AI at Meta features, on, across or off Meta Products. When you comment on a post or react to a photo, anyone who can see the post or photo can see your comment or reaction, including people you are not connected to, and the person who shared the post can change its audience at any time after you have interacted with it.
Supporting quotations
Content others share or reshare about you
Who can see or reshare your content
People in your audience can view your content and can choose to share it with others outside your audience, on and off our Products. For example, when you share a post or send a message to specific friends, they can download, screenshot or reshare it with anyone, including by using features that are part of
, on, across or off our Products.
When you comment on a post or react to a photo, your comment or reaction can be seen by anyone who can see the post or photo. This can include people you aren’t connected to. The person who shared the post can also change their audience at any time after you’ve interacted with it.
Qualifications & exceptions
Choosing an audience does not prevent that audience from resharing outside it.
Sharing & Disclosure · Context
Others using Meta AI features can share your messages and content, including outside your chosen audience
When other people interact with Meta's AI at Meta features, they can share information about you, including messages and content you have shared. This may happen on or off Meta Products and with others outside your chosen audience.
Supporting quotations
When others interact with our features that are part of AI at Meta, they can share information about you, including messages and content you have shared
. This may be on or off our Products and with others outside your chosen audience.
Not stated here
The footnote [45] on content you have shared is outside this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · User right or choice
Others can post photos of you, mention or tag you and share details about you; you can report posts and stories
People who use Meta Products can share information about you with the audience they choose, for example by sharing a photo or video of you in a post, comment, story, reel or message; mentioning you in a post or story; tagging you in a post, comment, story or location; or sharing details about you in a post, story or message. If you are uncomfortable with what others have shared about you, for example on Facebook, you can always choose to report posts and stories. The policy links to instructions for removing tags on Facebook and Instagram.
Supporting quotations
How information about you can be shared
People who use our Products can share information about you with the audience they choose. For example, they can:
Share a photo or video of you in a post, comment, story, reel or message
Mention you in a post or story
Tag you in a post, comment, story or location
Share details about you in a post, story or message
If you’re uncomfortable with what others have shared about you on our Products, for example on Facebook, you can always choose to
Remove a tag from a photo or post on Facebook
Qualifications & exceptions
Others choose the audience for what they share about you.
Reporting is the stated remedy; the passage does not say reported content will be removed.
Sharing & Disclosure · Context
Your name, usernames, profile picture, avatars and activity on public content are always public
Meta says some of your information and activity are always public: your name; your Facebook and Instagram username; your profile picture; your activity on public groups, Facebook Pages and channels; your activity on content that is public, such as a comment, rating or review on Marketplace or on a public Instagram account; and your avatars. Other content, like posts, photos and videos on your profile, Stories, Lives or Reels, is public if you choose to set it to Public.
Supporting quotations
Public content
What content is public?
Some of your information and activity are always public. This includes your:
Name
Facebook and Instagram username
Profile picture
Activity on public groups, Facebook Pages and channels
Activity on content that is public. For example, your comment, rating or review on Marketplace, or on a public Instagram account.
Avatars
Other content you can choose to set to Public, like posts, photos and videos you post to your profile, Stories, Lives or Reels.
Qualifications & exceptions
The listed items are 'always' public; you cannot make them non-public through audience settings.
Posts, photos, videos, Stories, Lives and Reels are public only if you choose to set them to Public.
Public content can be seen by anyone, including people without an account and, in some cases, off Meta Products
When content is public, anyone on or across Meta Products can see it, and in some cases people off its Products can see it, even if they do not have an account. For example, a comment on Marketplace, a Facebook Page or a public Instagram account, or a rating or review you leave, is visible to anyone; it could appear in any Meta Product or be seen by anyone, including off its Products.
Supporting quotations
Who can see public content?
When content is public, it can be seen by anyone on or across our Products, and in some cases off our Products, even if they don’t have an account.
For example, if you comment on Marketplace, a Facebook Page or a public Instagram account, or if you leave a rating or review, your comment, rating or review will be visible to anyone. It could appear in any of our Products or be seen by anyone, including off our Products.
Qualifications & exceptions
Visibility off Meta Products is 'in some cases' in the general statement.
Sharing & Disclosure · Context
Public content can go anywhere: search engines, media, APIs, connected apps and Meta research tools, under others' terms
Meta, you and people using its Products can send public content (like your profile photo, or information you share on a Facebook Page or public Instagram account) to anyone on, across or off its Products; for example, users can share it in a public forum, or it can appear in internet search results or Meta's research tools. Public content can also be seen, accessed, reshared or downloaded through third-party services, such as APIs, the media (like TV), other apps and websites connected to Meta Products, and search engines. Search engines and other third parties use this information according to their own terms and policies, not Meta's.
Supporting quotations
Where can public content be shared?
We, you and people using our Products can send public content (like your profile photo, or information you share on a Facebook Page or public Instagram account) to anyone on, across or off our Products. For example, users can share it in a public forum, or it can appear in search results on the internet or our
Public content can also be seen, accessed, reshared or downloaded through third-party services, like:
APIs
The media, like TV
Other apps and websites connected to our Products
Search engines.
Search engines and other third parties use this information according to their own terms and policies, not Meta’s.
Qualifications & exceptions
Once public content reaches search engines or other third parties, their own terms and policies govern its use, not Meta's.
Not stated here
The linked research-tools page and the search-engine footnote [46] are not part of this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
If you connect with an integrated partner, it receives information about you and your activity, plus public data
You can choose to connect with integrated partners who use Meta Products. If you do, these integrated partners receive information about you and your activity. They can always access information that is public on Meta Products.
Supporting quotations
With integrated partners
You can choose to connect with integrated partners
who use our Products. If you do, these integrated partners receive information about you and your activity.
These integrated partners can always access information that’s public on our Products.
Qualifications & exceptions
Receipt of information about you and your activity follows your choice to connect.
Access to public information is 'always', regardless of connection.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Integrated partners automatically get what you post through them, what you do there, device data and your language
When you use an integrated partner's products or services, the partner can automatically access what you post or share from those products or services, what you use their services to do, information from and about the device you are using, and the language setting you have chosen on Meta Products.
Supporting quotations
When you use an integrated partner’s product or service
Information they receive automatically
When you use an integrated partner’s products or services, they can access:
What you post or share from these products or services
What you use their services to do
Information from and about the device you’re using
The language setting you’ve chosen on our Products
Not stated here
The examples in footnote [48] are outside this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · User right or choice
Integrated partners may ask permission for more account data, including Instagram content shared while private
Sometimes integrated partners ask your permission to access certain additional information from your Facebook, Instagram or Messenger account; in their request they explain what they want and let you choose whether to share it. On Facebook this includes things like your email address, hometown or birthday. On Instagram it includes content, like photos and videos, that you shared from your account when it was set to private.
Supporting quotations
Information they receive with your permission
Sometimes these integrated partners ask you for permission to access certain additional information from your Facebook, Instagram or Messenger account. In their request, they’ll explain what information they’d like to access and let you choose whether to share it.
On Facebook, this includes things like your email address, hometown or birthday. On Instagram, this includes content, like photos and videos, that you’ve shared from your account when the account was set to private.
Qualifications & exceptions
Access to this additional information depends on your permission in the partner's request.
The Instagram example covers content shared while the account was private.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Meta logs integrated partners' requests for your information, separately from Apps and Websites access settings
Meta automatically logs when you receive a request from an integrated partner to access your information. These access requests are separate from the Apps and Websites access that you manage in your Facebook or Instagram Ad preferences or in your mobile device settings.
Supporting quotations
We automatically log when you receive a request from an integrated partner to access your information. These requests to access information are separate from the Apps and Websites access that you manage in your Facebook or Instagram Ad preferences or in your mobile device settings.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Apps you log into with Facebook Login or connect to Instagram keep access unless unused for 90 days, and may keep data
Apps or websites you have logged into using Facebook Login or connected to your Instagram account can access your nonpublic information on Meta Products unless it appears to Meta that you have not used the app or website in 90 days. Even after an app's access has expired, it can still retain information you shared with it previously. Meta encourages you to visit your Apps and Websites settings from time to time to review which apps and websites still have access through Facebook Login or Instagram.
Supporting quotations
How long they can access your information
Apps or websites you’ve logged into using Facebook Login or connected to your Instagram account can access your nonpublic information on Meta Products unless it appears to us that you haven’t used the app or website in 90 days. Note that even if an app’s access to your information has expired, it can still retain information you shared with it previously.
We encourage you to visit your Apps and Websites settings from time to time to review which apps and websites continue to have access to your information through Facebook Login or Instagram.
Qualifications & exceptions
Access ends only when it appears to Meta that you have not used the app or website in 90 days.
Expired access does not remove information the app already received; the app can still retain it.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Commenting on someone's content made through a partner app sends information about your comment to that developer
Integrated partners receive information about your activity when you interact with other Facebook, Instagram or Messenger users while those users are using the integrated partner's product or service. For example, if a gamer livestreams to Facebook using a partner app and you comment on that livestream, the app developer receives information about your comment.
Supporting quotations
When you interact with someone else’s content on an integrated partner’s product or service
Integrated partners receive information about your activity when you interact with other Facebook, Instagram or Messenger users while they’re using the integrated partner’s product or service.
For example, a gamer livestreams to Facebook using a partner app. Then you comment on that livestream. The app developer will receive information about your comment.
Qualifications & exceptions
This happens even though you did not connect to the partner yourself; the other user's use of the partner product is the trigger.
Sharing & Disclosure · Context
Integrated partners handle your information under their own terms and policies, not Meta's
Integrated partners handle the information you share with them according to their own terms and policies, not Meta's. You can review a partner's privacy policy on its website or app to learn how it receives and processes your information. In some cases a partner uses a separate service provider to receive and process your information. Meta links to a page on how it reviews apps that integrate with its Products.
Supporting quotations
How integrated partners handle your information
Integrated partners handle the information you share with them according to their own terms and policies, not Meta’s. You can review their privacy policy on their website or app to learn how they receive and process your information. In some cases, they use a separate service provider to receive and process your information.
How Meta reviews apps that integrate with our Products
Qualifications & exceptions
Meta's policy does not govern what integrated partners do with information you share with them.
Not stated here
The linked app-review page is not supplied.
Sharing & Disclosure · User right or choice
On Facebook your audience can be the public, friends and connections, a custom list, only you, or a community
On Facebook, the audience you choose can be made up of: the public, including people on and off Facebook; your friends and other connections, such as the friends of people you tag; a customized list of people; yourself; or the members of a single community, such as a group.
Supporting quotations
Choosing an audience
On Facebook, the audience can be made up of:
The public, including people on and off Facebook
Your friends and other connections, such as the friends of people you tag
A customized list of people
Yourself
The members of a single community, such as a group
Qualifications & exceptions
Choosing friends can extend to connections such as the friends of people you tag.
Sharing & Disclosure · User right or choice
On Instagram a private account limits viewers to approved followers; a public one is visible to anyone
On Instagram, you set the audience for what you share by choosing a private or public account. With a private account, only followers you approve can see what you share. With a public account, your posts and other Instagram content can be seen by anyone, on or off Meta Products, including people without an account. You can restrict your audience by blocking individual accounts, and you can create a close friends list for certain types of content that only people on that list can see.
Supporting quotations
On Instagram, you can set the audience for what you share by choosing between a private or public account. With a
, only followers you approve can see what you share. With a public account, your posts and other content on Instagram can be seen by anyone, on or off our Products, including if they don’t have an account. You can restrict the audience for your content by blocking individual accounts from viewing them. You can also create a close friends list for certain types of content that only the people on that list can see.
Qualifications & exceptions
Even with a private account, some information is always public (name, username, profile picture, avatars and activity on public content).
Close friends lists apply to certain types of content only.
Sharing & Disclosure · Context
Audience settings are separate from permissions you give apps and websites
Your audience settings are different from the permissions you give individual apps and websites to access your information; the policy points to its integrated-partner section for how you may share information with those partners.
Supporting quotations
Audience settings are different from app permissions
Your audience settings are different from the permissions you give to individual apps and websites to access your information. Read our policy about how you may share information with integrated partners.
Account & Service Control · Context
Supervision gives supervisors a teen chooses, like parents or guardians, tools and insights for the teen's account
The policy describes supervision as giving supervisors chosen by a teen, such as parents and guardians, tools and insights to help support a teen account.
Supporting quotations
Supervision
Supervision provides supervisors chosen by a teen, like parents and guardians, with tools and insights to help support a teen account.
Qualifications & exceptions
Supervisors are chosen by the teen.
Sharing & Disclosure · User right or choice
Privacy settings control search engines showing your profile, but some public content may still be found
You can use your privacy settings to control whether search engines can show your profile or public photos and videos in search results outside Meta. Some public content might still be accessible through search engines, for example if you post with your audience or profile set to Public; if you post on public Pages or accounts, depending on that account's settings; or if your public content is reshared by a professional account on Instagram.
Supporting quotations
Search engines
You can visit your
to control whether search engines can show your profile or public photos and videos in search results outside of Meta. Some public content might still be accessible through search engines, for example:
If you post with your audience or profile set to Public,
If you post on public Pages or accounts, depending on the settings of that account,
If your public content is reshared by a professional account on Instagram.
Qualifications & exceptions
The search-engine setting does not guarantee removal: public posts, posts on public Pages or accounts (depending on their settings) and public content reshared by Instagram professional accounts may still be accessible.
The listed cases are examples.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Game developers you reach via Facebook Login and sites with Like buttons automatically get your activity there
Meta's examples of when an integrated partner might receive your information: if you use your Facebook login to play an online game with Facebook friends, the game developer automatically receives information about your activities in the game; if you use the Facebook Like button on an article on a news website, the website developer automatically receives information about your Like on that article.
Supporting quotations
When an integrated partner might receive your information
For example, you might use your Facebook login to play an online game with your Facebook friends. The game developer automatically receives information about your activities in the game.
Or you might use the Facebook Like button on an article posted on a news website. The website developer automatically receives information about your Like on their article.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples ('For example', 'might').
Sharing & Disclosure · User right or choice
With your permission, an app can see your Facebook friends who use it and allowed it; you appear on their shared lists
If you use Facebook Login to log into an app, the developer might request access to your list of Facebook friends. If you give permission, the developer can view your Facebook friends who use the same app and have given it permission to access their friends lists; it cannot access nonpublic information about your friends or followers through this process, though it receives more about your friends if they share it themselves. You will also appear on friends lists that your Facebook friends choose to share with the same app. You can remove the permission, or the app entirely, if you no longer want to share your friends list with it or appear on others' lists shared with it. Your friends can share their friends lists with developers through Facebook Login, but cannot use Facebook Login to share nonpublic information about you.
Supporting quotations
Sharing friends lists
When you share your friends list
If you use Facebook Login to log into an app, the app developer might request access to your list of Facebook friends. Here's what happens if you give the app developer permission to view these lists:
They can view and access a list of your Facebook friends who use the same app and have given the app permission to access their list of friends. They can’t access nonpublic information about your friends or followers through this process. Note that the app developer will receive more information about your friends if your friends choose to share it themselves. They can share it by providing the information directly or giving the developer permission to access information from their account.
You’ll appear on friends lists that your Facebook friends can choose to share with the same app. You can remove this permission, or the app entirely, if you later decide that you don’t want to share your friends list with an app, or don’t want to appear on other friends lists shared with that app.
When your friends share their friends list
Your friends might choose to share their friends lists with app developers through Facebook Login. But your friends can’t use Facebook Login to share nonpublic information about you.
Qualifications & exceptions
Friends-list access depends on your permission, and covers only friends who use the same app and have given it permission.
Nonpublic information about friends is not available through this process; friends can still share their own information directly with the developer.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta shares certain information with advertisers, hired marketers, service businesses and researchers
In its summary of third-party sharing, Meta says it shares certain information with advertisers who show ads on its Products; businesses it hires to market its Products; businesses it hires to do things like offer customer service or conduct surveys; and researchers who use it to do things like innovate, advance technology or improve people's safety. The detail follows in the section.
Supporting quotations
We share certain information with:
Advertisers who show ads on our Products
Businesses we hire to market our Products for us
Businesses we hire to do things like offer customer service or conduct surveys
Researchers who use it to do things like innovate, advance technology, or improve people’s safety
Qualifications & exceptions
The summary says 'certain information'; what each recipient gets is described in the detailed subsections.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company commitment
Meta says it does not and never will sell your information, and binds partners to use and disclosure rules
Meta states that it does not sell any of your information to anyone, and never will. It also says it requires partners and other third parties to follow rules about how they can and cannot use and disclose the information it provides.
Supporting quotations
We don’t sell your information, and we never will.
We don't sell any of your information to anyone, and we never will. We also require partners
and other third parties
to follow rules about how they can and cannot use and disclose the information we provide.
Qualifications & exceptions
The commitment is about selling; the same section describes extensive sharing with advertisers, publishers, partners, vendors and researchers that Meta does not characterize as selling.
Not stated here
The rules imposed on partners and third parties are not set out in this passage.
Advertisers get reports on the number, demographics and interests of people who see and engage with their ads
Meta provides advertisers with reports about the number and kinds of people who see and engage with their ads and commercial content, including the general demographics and interests of the people who engaged, so advertisers can better understand their audience.
Supporting quotations
Partners
Advertisers and Audience Network publishers
Advertisers
We provide advertisers with reports about the number and kinds of people who see and engage with their ads and commercial content. These reports include information about the general demographics and interests of people who engaged with an advertiser’s ad or commercial content. Then advertisers can better understand their audience.
Not stated here
The example in footnote [52] is outside this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Advertisers learn which ads people engaged with, when, where and which led you to act; not name or email by default
Meta also gives advertisers and their vendors information about the ads and commercial content people engaged with, if any; when people engaged; and where the ad or content was shown (for example on Instagram or Facebook). It also confirms which ads or commercial content you viewed that led you to take an action with an advertiser, such as downloading the advertiser's app. Meta says it does not share with these advertisers and their vendors information that by itself can be used to contact or identify you, such as your name or email address, unless you give it permission.
Supporting quotations
Meta also provides advertisers and their vendors with information about:
Ads and commercial content people engaged with, if any
When people engaged with ads and commercial content
Where that ad or commercial content was shown (for example, on Instagram, or on Facebook)
We also confirm which ads or commercial content you viewed that led you to take an action with an advertiser, such as downloading an advertiser's app. But we don't share information with these advertisers and their vendors that by itself can be used to contact or identify you, such as your name or email address, unless you give us permission.
Qualifications & exceptions
The limit covers information that 'by itself' can contact or identify you; it does not say the shared engagement and conversion information cannot be linked to you by other means.
Directly identifying information can be shared if you give Meta permission.
Not stated here
The footnote [53] on permission is outside this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta shares ad data with Audience Network publishers and vendors, but not name or email without permission
Meta Audience Network lets advertisers place ads through Meta that appear on other apps and websites outside Meta. To help show you ads there, Meta shares information with publishers who use Audience Network and with vendors who facilitate that use, for example how many people see and engage with ads on publisher apps, and information related to or in response to a publisher's request to serve an ad on its app. Meta says it does not share with these publishers and vendors information that by itself can be used to contact or identify you, such as your name or email address, unless you give it permission.
Supporting quotations
Audience Network publishers and their vendors
Meta Audience Network lets advertisers place ads with us that will be published on other apps and websites outside of Meta.
To help show you ads on their apps and websites, we share information with publishers who use Audience Network, as well as vendors who facilitate that use. For example, we share:
How many people see and engage with ads on publisher apps
Information related to or in response to a
to serve an ad on its app.
But we don't share information with these publishers and their vendors that by itself can be used to contact or identify you, such as your name or email address, unless you give us permission
Qualifications & exceptions
The shared items are examples ('For example').
The identification limit covers information that 'by itself' can contact or identify you, and yields to your permission.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Businesses using Meta analytics get aggregate reports on reach, demographics, interests and connection performance
Businesses use Meta's analytics services, through Products like business accounts, professional tools and Facebook Pages, to understand how people use their content, features, products and services. To provide these services Meta uses the information it collects about you and puts it into aggregate reports showing how partners' content, features, products and services perform. The reports aggregate information like how many people interacted with a partner's content, products or services; the general demographics and interests of those people; and how people use partners' products and services to connect to Meta Products and the performance of their connection and networks. Advertisers also receive other information, described in the advertiser part of the policy.
Supporting quotations
Partners who use our analytics services
, like business accounts, professional tools and Facebook Pages, to run and promote their businesses.
Businesses use our analytics services to understand more about how people are using their content, features, products and services.
To provide these services, we use the information we collect about you. We put this information into aggregate reports so that partners can see how well their content, features, products and services are performing and are able to understand things like users’ experience with such content, products and services.
These reports aggregate information like:
How many people interacted with our partners' content, products or services
The general demographics and interests
How people use our partners’ products and services to connect to Meta Products and the performance of their connection and networks
Advertisers also receive other information. Read our Policy about how we share information with advertisers.
Qualifications & exceptions
Analytics partners receive aggregate reports; advertisers additionally receive the engagement information described separately.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
When you buy from or share with sellers, charities or payment providers, they get order, payment and device data
When you choose to make a transaction, or otherwise choose to share information with a seller, creator, fundraiser, charity, payment services provider or commerce services platform, Meta shares information with them and with any providers acting on their behalf. Depending on how you interact with them, they receive information to complete your transaction (like order, payment, contact and shipping information); information to help secure the transaction (like information about your device or connection); any information required by applicable regulation; and other information you choose to share with them. For example, if you buy from an Instagram shop using checkout, the shop receives information to complete the transaction, which may include your order items, contact details and shipping information; if the shop uses a payment services provider such as PayPal, the provider receives the transaction amount, a transaction description and your payment card information, such as cardholder name, card number, expiration date and billing address.
Supporting quotations
Partners who offer goods or services on our Products and commerce services platforms
When you choose to make a transaction
, or otherwise choose to share information with a seller, creator, fundraiser, charity, payment services provider or commerce services platform
, we share information with them and with any providers acting on their behalf.
Depending on how you interact with them, they receive:
Information to complete your transaction, like order, payment, contact and shipping information
Information to help ensure the security of the transaction, like information about your device or connection
Any information required by applicable regulation
Other information you choose to share with them
For example, if you make a purchase from an Instagram shop using checkout, the shop will receive information to complete your transaction. This may include your order items, your contact details and shipping information. If the shop uses a payment services provider, such as PayPal, to facilitate the transaction, the provider will receive the transaction amount, a transaction description (to appear on your credit card statement) and your payment card information, such as cardholder name, card number, expiration date and billing address.
Qualifications & exceptions
Sharing follows your choice to transact or share; what each recipient receives depends on how you interact with them.
Providers acting on the recipients' behalf also receive the information.
Not stated here
The footnotes on transactions [55] and commerce services platforms [56] are outside this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta shares ad-view and engagement data with measurement vendors who combine it with advertisers' sales data
Meta says it does not create every measurement and analytics report itself. It shares information, like whether people saw or engaged with an ad, with measurement vendors, who aggregate or compile it to provide their reports. For example, an advertiser might ask a measurement vendor to assess the impact of its Facebook ads on sales: the vendor compares Meta's information about clicks on the advertiser's Facebook ads with the advertiser's information about purchases, then provides aggregated reports showing how the ads perform.
Supporting quotations
Vendors
Measurement vendors
We don’t create every measurement and analytics report ourselves.
We share information (like whether people saw an ad or engaged with it) with our measurement vendors
, who aggregate or compile it to provide their reports.
For example, an advertiser might ask a measurement vendor to help figure out the impact its ads on Facebook have had on sales. The measurement vendor compares information from us about clicks on the advertiser’s Facebook ads with information from the advertiser about product purchases. Then the measurement vendor creates and provides aggregated reports that show the advertiser how its ads are performing.
Qualifications & exceptions
The vendor's reports to advertisers are described as aggregated; the information Meta gives the vendor is described by example ('like whether people saw an ad or engaged with it').
Not stated here
Whether the information Meta provides to measurement vendors is individual-level is not stated.
The footnote [57] on measurement vendors is outside this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta shares device and other identifiers with marketing vendors that track your activity to target its ads
Meta shares information about you with marketing vendors, for example your device identifier or other identifiers, to help it serve you the ads for its own Products that are most relevant to your interests. These vendors support Meta's marketing and advertising by serving its advertisements across the internet (including on mobile, desktop and connected TV devices); tracking and categorizing your online and mobile app activity; and providing Meta information about your interests, community and advertising interactions. This helps Meta understand who might find its advertising relevant and which of its Products might interest you, can be used to personalize which Meta ads you see, and is used by the vendors to measure response to Meta's marketing and the effectiveness of its advertising.
Supporting quotations
Marketing vendors
We share information about you with marketing vendors
. For example, we share your device identifier or other identifiers with marketing vendors to help us serve you ads most relevant to your interests.
Marketing vendors support our marketing and advertising efforts by:
Serving our advertisements across the internet, including on mobile, desktop and connected television devices
Tracking and categorizing your online and mobile app activity
Providing us information about your interests and community and advertising interactions
These marketing vendors help us understand who might find our advertising most relevant to their interests, and which of our Products might interest you. This information can be used to personalize which of our ads are shown to you. Marketing vendors also use this information to measure response to our marketing efforts and the effectiveness of our advertising.
Qualifications & exceptions
This covers Meta's own marketing and advertising of its Products, not advertisers' ads on Meta Products.
Not stated here
The footnote [58] on marketing vendors and the footnote [59] on managing off-Product Meta ads are outside this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta shares information it has about you with service providers for security, payments, support and more
Service providers provide services that help Meta provide its Products. Meta shares the information it has about you to receive these services, which include investigating suspicious activity; detecting and stopping threats to its personnel and property; facilitating payments; providing customer support; improving the functionality of its Products; providing technical infrastructure services; analyzing how its Products are used; conducting research and surveys; and marketing and promoting its Products.
Supporting quotations
Service providers
Service providers provide services to us that help us provide our Products to you. We share the information we have about you to receive these services, which include:
Investigating suspicious activity
Detecting and stopping threats to our personnel and property
Facilitating payments
Providing customer support
Improving the functionality of our Products
Providing technical infrastructure services
Analyzing how our Products are used
Conducting research and surveys
Marketing and promoting our Products
Qualifications & exceptions
The passage says 'the information we have about you' without limiting the categories shared per service.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta gives information to external researchers, including for its business or mission
Meta provides information to external researchers, who use it for research that advances scholarship and innovation and promotes safety, security and integrity. Research goals include supporting Meta's business or mission, social good, technological advancement, safety and security on its Products, public interest, and health and well-being. Meta says that when sharing information with external researchers it ensures the privacy of its users is protected.
Supporting quotations
Third parties
External researchers
We provide information to external researchers. They use it to conduct research that advances scholarship and innovation, and to promote safety, security and integrity.
Research goals include supporting:
Our business or mission
Social good.
Technological advancement
Safety and security on our Products
Public interest
Health and well-being
When sharing information with external researchers, we ensure the privacy of our users is protected.
Qualifications & exceptions
Supporting Meta's own business or mission is listed as a research goal alongside public-interest goals.
Not stated here
How privacy is protected when information is shared with researchers is on a linked page that is not supplied.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta sometimes shares certain information with selected partners, like search engines, to answer Meta AI questions
Meta explains that the generative AI models behind its features may not have the most complete or recent information; for example, Meta AI might not know yesterday's football score. So it works with other selected partners, like search engine providers, and sometimes shares certain information with them to bring you the most relevant information.
Supporting quotations
AI integrations
Generative AI models that make our features work may not have the most complete or recent information. For example, that means if you ask Meta AI about the score to yesterday's football game, it might not know the right answer. That's why we work with other selected partners, like search engine providers. We sometimes share certain information with these partners so we can bring you the most relevant information.
Learn more about how we share your information with these selected partners and third parties.
Qualifications & exceptions
Sharing is 'sometimes' and of 'certain information'.
Not stated here
The linked page on AI partners, which may say what information is shared, is not supplied.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Some Meta AI features use an external browser, which receives your request and may share it further
Some AI at Meta features may use an external web browser to answer questions and perform actions for you. When you use these features, information related to your request is shared with the browser, and the browser may further share your information with other third parties.
Supporting quotations
Some features that are part of
may also use an external web browser to answer questions and perform actions for you. When you use these features, information related to your request will be shared with the browser. The browser may further share your information with other third parties.
Qualifications & exceptions
Onward sharing by the browser to other third parties is outside Meta's description of its own practices.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
Connecting third-party apps to your Meta account lets Meta exchange information with them and use it like its own
You can choose to connect third-party apps and services to your Meta account to enhance your experience with Meta Products, including AI at Meta features. When you connect them, you are requesting that Meta exchange information with them. Meta can use this information about you and others in the same ways it uses your information under the policy, and can share information to perform actions for you involving those apps and services.
Supporting quotations
You can also choose to connect third-party apps and services to your Meta account to enhance your experience with Meta Products, including our features that are part of AI at Meta. When you connect to these apps and services, you are requesting us to exchange information with them. We can use this information about you and others in the same ways we use your information as described in this Policy, and share information to perform actions for you involving those third-party apps and services.
Qualifications & exceptions
This follows your choice to connect a third-party app or service.
The information received can concern others as well as you.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Company practice
Meta shares information with other third parties for legal requests, legal compliance or to prevent harm
Meta also shares information with other third parties in response to legal requests, to comply with applicable law, or to prevent harm. The policy's separate legal-requests section gives the detail.
Supporting quotations
Other third parties
We also share information with other third parties
in response to legal requests, to comply with applicable law or to prevent harm.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
If Meta sells or transfers its business, the new owner may receive your information, as the law allows
If Meta sells or transfers all or part of its business to someone else, in some cases it will give the new owner your information as part of that transaction, but only as the law allows.
Supporting quotations
And if we sell or transfer all or part of our business to someone else, in some cases we’ll give the new owner your information as part of that transaction, but only as the law allows.
Qualifications & exceptions
Transfer happens 'in some cases' and 'only as the law allows'.
Inference & Profiling · User right or choice
Advertisers target audiences by interests Meta infers, such as Page likes; you can view and remove your interests
Meta's example of general demographics and interests: a bike shop wants its ad to reach people in Atlanta interested in cycling, and Meta decides whether someone fits that audience based on things like whether they liked a Page about bikes; people in that audience could then see the ad. You can see the 'interests' assigned to you in your Ad preferences and remove them if you want. The policy also points you to Ad preferences to manage the ads you see on Meta Products.
Supporting quotations
General demographics and interests
For example, a bike shop creates a Page on Facebook and wants to place an ad to reach an audience of people in Atlanta interested in cycling. We determine whether someone fits in this audience based on, for example, whether they liked a Page about bikes. Then people in that audience could see the bike shop's ad.
You can see the “interests” assigned to you in your
and remove them if you want.
Manage the ads you see on our Products
Visit your
Qualifications & exceptions
Page likes are one example of how audience fit is decided ('for example').
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Advertiser reports show aggregate audience statistics, such as gender, age range and device used to click
Continuing the example, the bike shop can see reports with aggregated statistics about the audience seeing its ads and how they perform, for example that most people who saw or clicked on the ad were women, were between 25 and 34, and clicked from their phone.
Supporting quotations
The bike shop can then see reports showing aggregated statistics about the audience seeing their ads and how their ads are performing. The reports would show statistics to the advertiser that, for example, most of the people who saw or clicked on their ad:
Were women
Were between the ages of 25 and 34
Clicked on the ad from their phone
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Submitting an ad form with your name and contact details counts as permission to give the advertiser that information
Meta's example of when you might give it permission to share identifying information with an advertiser: you request more information from a business by clicking its ad in your Facebook Feed and submitting a form with your name and contact information; the advertiser then receives the information you provided.
Supporting quotations
When you might give us permission
For example, you might request more information from a business by clicking their ad in your Facebook Feed and submitting a form with your name and contact information. Then the advertiser would receive the information you provided.
Qualifications & exceptions
This is an example of the permission exception to the rule that advertisers and publishers do not get information that by itself identifies or contacts you.
Transactions include subscriptions, buying or selling products and services, and donations; commerce platforms help
The policy lists transactions you might make: subscribing to premium content; buying, selling or using products; buying, selling or using services; and donating to charities. It describes commerce services platforms as providing commerce services including payments, marketing, shipping and customer engagement tools.
Supporting quotations
Transactions you might make
Subscribing to premium content
Buying, selling or using products
Buying, selling or using services
Donating to charities
Commerce services platforms
Commerce services platforms provide a range of commerce services, including:
Payments
Marketing
Shipping
Customer engagement tools
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Context
Measurement vendors report on ad performance and actions; marketing vendors market Meta and research its ads
A measurement vendor is a third party that creates reports to help advertisers understand how their content and ads perform, including whether people took an action after seeing an ad. A marketing vendor is a third party that helps market or advertise Meta and its Products, measures the effectiveness of Meta's own marketing campaigns and performs advertising research.
Supporting quotations
Measurement vendor
A third party that creates reports to help advertisers understand how their content and ads are performing. These reports also measure whether people took an action after seeing an ad.
Marketing vendor
A third party that helps market or advertise Meta and our Products, measures the effectiveness of our own marketing campaigns and performs advertising research
Use & Processing · User right or choice
You can opt out of Meta using your activity to tailor its own ads on other platforms
Meta advertises its own products and services on non-Meta ad platforms, using marketing vendors to deliver those ads. If it uses your activity on its Products to tailor these ads, you can opt out of that use. With an account, you opt out in your Ad preferences. Without an account, you can use the Digital Advertising Alliance industry opt-out platform in your web browser (or, in Canada, the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada platform); certain ad blockers and cookie-restricting tools can interfere with opting out. You can also check your mobile device settings, since device manufacturers provide different ways to opt out.
Supporting quotations
Manage Meta ads you see off our Products
We advertise our own products and services on non-Meta ad platforms. We use marketing vendors to deliver these ads. If we use your activity on our Products to tailor these ads, you can opt out of this type of use.
If you have an account:
to opt out.
If you don't have an account:
You can use the
industry opt-out platform on your web browser. If you live in Canada, you can use the
Certain ad blockers and tools to restrict cookies can interfere with your ability to opt out.
Check your mobile device settings. Device manufacturers provide different ways to opt out.
Qualifications & exceptions
The opt-out covers using your activity on Meta Products to tailor Meta's own ads on non-Meta platforms.
For people without an account, ad blockers and cookie-restricting tools can interfere with the browser opt-out.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta owns Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and others, and sometimes shares information among them
Meta's summary: it owns Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Meta Quest and the other Products covered by the policy, and also owns the Meta Companies, which include WhatsApp. Sometimes it shares information within these Companies to make new features or shared experiences between products. It also shares information, like your name and email address, to help verify your accounts and check out suspicious activities, to keep your accounts safe.
Supporting quotations
How do the Meta Companies work together?
Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Meta Quest and the other Products covered by this Policy
Meta also owns the Meta Companies, which include WhatsApp
Sometimes we share information within these Companies
We do this to make new features or shared experiences between different products
We also share information, like your name and email address, to help verify your accounts, and check out suspicious activities. This helps us keep your accounts safe.
Qualifications & exceptions
Sharing within the Meta Companies is described as happening 'sometimes'.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta shares collected information and systems with other Meta Companies and processes data they send
Meta is part of the Meta Companies, whose Meta Company Products include all the Products covered by this policy plus others like WhatsApp. Meta shares the information it collects, as well as infrastructure, systems and technology, with the other Meta Companies. It also processes information it receives about you from other Meta Companies, according to their terms and policies and as permitted by applicable law. In some cases Meta acts as a service provider for other Meta Companies, acting on their behalf and under their instructions and terms.
Supporting quotations
We are part of the
include all the Meta Products
covered by this Policy, plus other products like WhatsApp and more.
We share information we collect, infrastructure, systems and technology with the other Meta Companies.
We also process information that we receive about you from other Meta Companies, according to their terms and policies and as permitted by applicable law. In some cases, Meta acts as a service provider
for other Meta Companies. We act on their behalf and in accordance with their instructions and terms.
Qualifications & exceptions
Information received from other Meta Companies is processed under their terms and policies and as applicable law permits.
When Meta acts as a service provider for another Meta Company, that company's instructions and terms govern.
Not stated here
The linked pages listing the Meta Companies and on international transfers are not part of this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta Products share with other Meta Companies for safety and law, ads, features and usage insight
Meta Products share information with other Meta Companies to promote safety, security and integrity and comply with applicable laws; to personalize offers, ads and other sponsored or commercial content; to develop, provide and personalize features and integrations; and to understand how people use and interact with Meta Company Products.
Supporting quotations
Why we share across the Meta Companies
Meta Products share information with other Meta Companies:
To promote safety, security and integrity and comply with applicable laws
To personalize offers, ads and other sponsored or commercial content
To develop, provide and personalize features and integrations
To understand how people use and interact with Meta Company Products
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta may share your name, email, friends and account details with its financial-services companies
For example, Meta shares information with Meta Companies that provide financial products and services to help them promote safety, security and integrity and comply with applicable law, including complying with their legal obligations, helping keep you and others safe, performing account verification, investigating suspicious activities and creating analytics. For these purposes it might share your name, email address, who you are friends with and other account information within the Meta Companies.
Supporting quotations
Promoting safety, security and integrity and complying with applicable law
For example, we share information with Meta Companies that provide financial products and services to help them promote safety, security and integrity and comply with applicable law. This includes:
Complying with their legal obligations
Helping keep you and others safe
Performing account verification
Investigating suspicious activities
Creating analytics
For these purposes, we might share your name, email address, who you’re friends with and other account information within the Meta Companies.
Qualifications & exceptions
Stated as an example ('For example') with the purposes listed; the sharing 'might' occur.
Linking & Identification · User right or choice
Where available, you can choose integrations linking WhatsApp with other Meta products, like Meta Pay or smart glasses
Where available in your country, you can choose to use certain integrations that connect your WhatsApp experiences with other Meta Company Products, such as using your Meta Pay account to pay for things on WhatsApp, or chatting with friends on other Meta Company Products, like smart glasses, by connecting your WhatsApp account.
Supporting quotations
Developing and providing features and integrations
For example, where available in your country, you can choose to use certain integrations that connect your WhatsApp experiences with other Meta Company Products. These integrations let you do things like:
Use your Meta Pay account to pay for things on WhatsApp
Chat with your friends on other Meta Company Products, such as smart glasses, by connecting your WhatsApp account
Qualifications & exceptions
These integrations are optional and available only in some countries.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta shares your videos across its companies to train object recognition and content-creation tools
Meta also shares information with Meta Companies to support innovation. For example, your videos can help train its products to recognize objects, like trees, or activities, like a dog chasing a ball, and can help train tools that let people and businesses create content, like images and videos. Meta says this technology helps it offer new products or features in the future.
Supporting quotations
We also share information with Meta Companies to support innovation. For example, your videos can help train our products to recognize objects, like trees, or activities, like when a dog chases a ball. They can also help train tools that let people and businesses create content, like images and videos. This technology is used to help us offer new products or features in the future.
Qualifications & exceptions
Videos are given as an example; the passage does not limit innovation sharing to videos.
Not stated here
The passage does not say whether you can opt out of this training use.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta counts unique, monthly and daily active users and publicly shares usage trends
Meta counts the number of unique users, monthly active users and daily active users on its products. It says this helps it understand the community using its products and publicly share important trends about how they are used.
Supporting quotations
Understanding how people use our products
We count the number of unique users, monthly active users and daily active users on our products. This information helps us understand the community using our products and publicly share important trends about how our products are used.
Account & Service Control · User right or choice
You can view, download, port and delete your information and manage privacy through Meta's tools and settings
Meta says you have rights to view and download the information it has about you; you can use the settings in this section to manage your privacy; and you can delete your account or specific account information if you want. It offers tools to view, manage, download and delete your information, including accessing your information, your information and permissions, ad preferences, managing your data, porting, downloading, and deleting your information or account. You can also manage your information in the settings of the Products you use, and you may have other privacy rights under applicable laws. To exercise your rights, you visit Meta's Help Centers, your Facebook and Instagram settings and your device-based settings.
Supporting quotations
How can you manage or delete your information and exercise your rights?
You have rights to view and download the information we have about you
You can use the settings in this section to manage your privacy
You also can delete your account or specific account information, if you want to
We offer you a variety of tools to view, manage, download and delete your information below. You can also manage your information by visiting the settings of the Products you use. You may also have other privacy rights under applicable laws.
To exercise your rights, visit our Help Centers, your settings for Facebook and Instagram and your device-based settings.
View and manage your information
Access your information
Port, download or delete your information
Download your information
Qualifications & exceptions
Additional privacy rights depend on applicable laws ('may also have').
Rights are exercised through Help Centers, Product settings and device settings.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · User right or choice
You can contact Meta with policy questions, and in some places its Data Protection Officer or your local DPA
You can learn more about privacy on Facebook and Instagram and in the Facebook Help Center, and contact Meta with questions about the policy as described later. In some countries you may also be able to contact the Data Protection Officer for Meta Platforms, Inc., and depending on your jurisdiction you may also contact your local Data Protection Authority directly.
Supporting quotations
If you have questions about this policy, you can
as described below. In some countries, you may also be able to contact the Data Protection Officer for Meta Platforms, Inc., and depending on your jurisdiction, you may also contact your local Data Protection Authority (“DPA”) directly.
Qualifications & exceptions
Contacting the Data Protection Officer is available only in some countries; contacting a Data Protection Authority depends on your jurisdiction.
Account & Service Control · User right or choice
In certain cases and subject to applicable law, you have a right to port your information
In certain cases and subject to applicable law, you have the right to port your information, using the linked transfer tool.
Supporting quotations
Port your information [64]
Port your information
In certain cases and subject to applicable law, you have the right to
Qualifications & exceptions
The portability right applies only in certain cases and subject to applicable law.
Retention & Deletion · User right or choice
Delete buttons and Facebook's activity log let you remove content, which then is no longer visible to other users
To delete your information, you can find and delete specific information using Meta's tools. For example, you can use Delete buttons to delete content you have posted to your account, and use tools like the activity log on Facebook to send content to the trash in bulk. When you delete content, it is no longer visible to other users. The Facebook and Instagram Help Centers explain what happens when you delete content or move it to trash.
Supporting quotations
Delete your information or account [65]
Delete your information or account
To delete your information, you can:
Find and delete specific information. We offer tools you can use to delete certain information. For example, you can use Delete buttons to delete content you’ve posted to your account. You can also use tools like activity log on Facebook to send content to the trash in bulk. When you delete content, it’s no longer visible to other users.
to learn what happens when you delete your content or move it to
Qualifications & exceptions
The stated effect is that deleted content is no longer visible to other users; this passage does not say when Meta erases it from its systems.
Tools delete 'certain information', not necessarily all information.
Retention & Deletion · User right or choice
Deleting your Instagram or Facebook account deletes your information and posts, except what Meta needs to keep
You can permanently delete your account. If you delete your Facebook or Instagram account, Meta deletes your information, including things you have posted such as photos and status updates, unless it needs to keep it as described in the policy's 'How long do we keep your information?' section. Once your account is permanently deleted, you cannot reactivate it or retrieve information, including content you posted.
Supporting quotations
Permanently delete your account. If you delete your account on
, we delete your information, including the things you’ve posted, such as your photos and status updates, unless we need to keep it as described in "How long do we keep your information?" Once your account is
you won’t be able to reactivate it, and you won’t be able to retrieve information, including content you’ve posted.
Qualifications & exceptions
Deletion is subject to the retention exceptions in 'How long do we keep your information?'.
Permanent deletion is irreversible: the account cannot be reactivated and content cannot be retrieved.
Retention & Deletion · Company practice
Deletion can take up to 90 days, plus up to 90 more for backups; trashed content auto-deletes after 30 days
If you ask Meta to delete your account or content, it may take up to 90 days to delete your information after Meta begins the account deletion process or receives a content deletion request. After the information is deleted, it may take up to another 90 days to remove it from backups and disaster recovery. If you leave deleted content in your Facebook trash or Instagram Recently Deleted folder, the deletion process starts automatically after 30 days, or you can start it right away by deleting the content from the trash or Recently Deleted folder.
Supporting quotations
How long does it take to delete your information?
If you request that we delete your account or content, it may take up to 90 days to delete your information after we begin the account deletion process or receive a content deletion request. After the information is deleted, it may take us up to another 90 days to remove it from backups and disaster recovery.
If you leave your deleted content in your trash on Facebook or your Recently Deleted folder on Instagram, the deletion process will begin automatically in 30 days. Or you can start the deletion process right away by deleting the content from your trash or Recently Deleted folder.
Qualifications & exceptions
The 90-day periods are maximums ('may take up to').
Content in trash or Recently Deleted is not yet in the deletion process until 30 days pass or you delete it from there.
Retention & Deletion · Company practice
Meta keeps information as long as it needs it, decided case by case; deletion requests yield to legal and other needs
Meta keeps information for as long as it needs it to provide a feature or service. You can request that it delete your information, and it will do so unless it has to keep it for something else, like legal reasons. More fully, it keeps information as long as it needs it to provide its Products, comply with legal obligations or protect its own or others' interests, deciding case by case. It considers: whether it needs the information to operate or provide its Products (for example, keeping some information to maintain your account); the feature it is used for and how that feature works (for example, Messenger vanish mode messages are kept for less time than regular messages); how long it must keep the information to comply with certain legal obligations; and whether it needs it for other legitimate purposes, such as preventing harm, investigating possible violations of its terms or policies, promoting safety, security and integrity, or protecting itself, including its rights, property or products.
Supporting quotations
How long do we keep your information?
We keep information for as long as we need it to provide a feature or service
But you can request that we delete your information
We’ll delete that information unless we have to keep it for something else, like for legal reasons
We keep information as long as we need it to provide our Products, comply with legal obligations or protect our or other’s interests. We decide how long we need information on a case-by-case basis. Here’s what we consider when we decide:
If we need it to operate or provide our Products. For example, we need to keep some of your information to maintain your account.
The feature we use it for, and how that feature works. For example, messages sent using Messenger’s vanish mode are retained for less time than regular messages.
How long we need to retain the information to comply with certain legal obligations.
If we need it for other legitimate purposes, such as to prevent harm; investigate possible violations of our terms or policies; promote safety, security and integrity; or protect ourselves, including our rights, property or products
Qualifications & exceptions
No fixed retention periods are given in this general rule; retention is decided case by case.
Deletion requests are honored unless Meta has to keep the information for something else, like legal reasons.
Retention & Deletion · Restriction or exception
Meta may preserve your data, including financial records, longer and even after you ask to delete it
In some instances and for specific reasons, Meta keeps information for an extended period. Your information, including financial transaction data related to purchases or money transfers on its Products, may be preserved and accessed for longer if it relates to a legal request or obligation (including obligations of Meta Companies or compliance with applicable law); a governmental investigation; an investigation of possible violations of its terms or policies; preventing harm; safety, security and integrity purposes; protecting Meta, including its rights, property or products; or a legal claim, complaint, litigation or regulatory proceedings. In some cases Meta may preserve information for these reasons even after you request deletion of your account or some of your content, and it may also preserve information from accounts disabled, and content removed, for violations of its terms and policies.
Supporting quotations
In some instances and for specific reasons, we’ll keep information for an extended period of time.
Why we may preserve your information longer
Your information, including financial transaction data related to purchases or money transfers made on our Products, may be preserved and accessed for a longer time period if it’s related to any of the following:
A legal request or obligation, including obligations of Meta Companies or to comply with applicable law
A governmental investigation
An investigation of possible violations of our terms or policies
To prevent harm
For safety, security and integrity purposes
To protect ourselves, including our rights, property or products
If it’s needed in relation to a legal claim, complaint, litigation or regulatory proceedings
In some cases, we may preserve your information based on the above reasons even after you request deletion of your account or some of your content. We may also preserve information from accounts that have been disabled and content that has been removed for violations of our terms and policies.
Qualifications & exceptions
Preservation after a deletion request is 'in some cases' and tied to the listed reasons.
Information from disabled accounts and removed content may also be preserved.
Not stated here
No maximum preservation period is stated.
The examples in footnote [71] are outside this passage.
Profile information, undeleted photos and security information are kept for the life of your account
As an example of keeping information to operate its Products, Meta keeps profile information, photos you have posted and not deleted, and security information for the lifetime of your account.
Supporting quotations
If we need it to operate or provide our Products
For example, we keep profile information, photos you’ve posted (and not deleted) and security information for the lifetime of your account.
Retention & Deletion · Company practice
Facebook search history is kept until you clear it or delete your account; extra search details go within six months
When you search on Facebook, Meta keeps your search history until you clear the search in your activity log or delete your account; once you do, it is no longer visible to you and will be deleted. Even if you do not clear it, within six months of a search Meta deletes information about that search that is not needed to show you your search history, like the device you used or your location.
Supporting quotations
And when you search for something on Facebook, we keep your search history until you clear the search in your
or delete your account. Once you clear a search or delete your account, it will no longer be visible to you, and it will be deleted
But even if you don’t clear your search or delete your account, within six months of your search we delete information about that search that isn’t necessary to show you your search history, like information about the device you were using, or your location.
Qualifications & exceptions
The example is about Facebook search.
The six-month deletion covers search details not needed to show search history; the history itself stays until cleared or account deletion.
Not stated here
The footnote [70] on deletion is outside this passage.
Retention & Deletion · Company practice
Messenger vanish-mode messages are deleted one hour after being read, or after 14 days if never read
Meta's example of retention depending on how a feature works: a message sent in Messenger's vanish mode is no longer visible to the sender once she leaves the chat, and the recipient sees it only the first time she opens the thread. After the recipient reads it, the content is deleted after one hour; if it is never read, it is deleted after 14 days.
Supporting quotations
The feature we use it for, and how that feature works
For example, May is planning a surprise party for Yang. She sends Cynthia the party details in Messenger using vanish mode so that the message will disappear. The message will no longer be visible to May once she leaves the chat, and Cynthia will see the message only the first time she opens the chat thread.
After Cynthia reads the message, the content is deleted after one hour. If Cynthia never reads it, it’s deleted after 14 days.
Qualifications & exceptions
The example concerns Messenger vanish mode.
Retention & Deletion · Company practice
Information is retained as long as needed for legal requests, government investigations and litigation
Meta's examples of legal retention: it keeps information for as long as it needs it for a legal request or obligation (including obligations of Meta Companies or to comply with applicable law), a governmental investigation, or a legal claim, complaint, litigation or regulatory proceedings.
Supporting quotations
How long we need to retain the information to comply with certain legal obligations
For example, we retain information for as long as we need it for:
A legal request or obligation, including obligations of Meta Companies or to comply with applicable law
A governmental investigation
A legal claim, complaint, litigation or regulatory proceedings
Retention & Deletion · Restriction or exception
Data may be kept after account deletion for warrants or preservation orders, accounting rules, or legal claims
Meta's examples of preserving information: it might preserve your information after you delete your account when it receives a valid legal request related to your account, such as a preservation order or search warrant; it preserves certain information about purchases or transactions associated with an account in line with its accounting obligations; and it may preserve your information where it deems it necessary for reasons related to a legal claim or complaint, for example when it may be required to defend itself in legal proceedings about a claim related to your information.
Supporting quotations
Examples of why we might preserve your information
To respond to a legal request
For example, we might preserve your information after you delete your account when we receive a valid legal request, such as a preservation order or search warrant, related to your account.
To comply with applicable law
For example, we preserve certain information about purchases or transactions associated with an account, in line with Meta’s accounting obligations.
For litigation
We may preserve your information where we deem it necessary for reasons related to a legal claim or complaint. For example, we may be required to defend ourselves in legal proceedings in a claim related to your information.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples ('For example').
Litigation-related preservation turns on what Meta 'deems necessary'.
Retention & Deletion · Restriction or exception
Meta keeps data on banned users to stop new accounts and may keep data when reviewing suspicious financial activity
For safety, security and integrity purposes, if Meta disables an account for violating its terms or policies, it preserves information about that user to prevent them from opening a new account. It also might preserve some of your account information as part of reviewing suspicious activity, including suspicious activity associated with its financial products, like suspected money laundering or terrorist funding.
Supporting quotations
For safety, security and integrity purposes
For example, if we disable an account for violating our terms or policies, we preserve information about that user to prevent them from opening a new account.
We also might preserve some of your account information as part of our review of suspicious activity. This includes any suspicious activity associated with our financial products, like suspected money laundering or terrorist funding.
Qualifications & exceptions
Preservation for suspicious-activity review is stated as something Meta 'might' do.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta shares your information globally, within its offices and data centers and with partners, vendors and third parties
Because Meta connects people around the world, it transfers information around the world, and says it follows international regulations to keep your information safe when doing so. It shares the information it collects globally, both internally across its offices and data centers and externally with partners, measurement vendors, service providers and other third parties. Transfers are necessary for reasons including operating and providing the services stated in the terms of the Meta Product you use and this Policy (including letting you share information and connect with family and friends around the globe), and fixing, analyzing and improving its Products.
Supporting quotations
How do we transfer information?
Because we connect people all around the world, we need to transfer information all around the world, too
When we do this, we follow international regulations to keep your information safe
Why is information transferred to other countries?
We share the information we collect globally, both internally across our offices and data centers, and externally with our partners
. Because Meta is global, with users, partners and employees around the world, transfers are necessary for a variety of reasons, including:
So we can operate and provide the services stated in the terms of the Meta Product
you’re using and this Policy. This includes allowing you to share information and connect with your family and friends around the globe.
So we can fix, analyze and improve our Products
Qualifications & exceptions
The listed reasons are introduced with 'including'; they are not exhaustive.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Your data may be stored and processed in the US, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and wherever Meta or its vendors operate
Your information will be transferred or transmitted to, or stored and processed in: places where Meta has infrastructure or data centers, including the United States, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden, among others; countries where Meta Company Products are available; and other countries where its partners, vendors, service providers and other third parties are located outside the country where you live, for the purposes described in the policy.
Supporting quotations
Where is information transferred?
Your information will be transferred or transmitted to, or stored and processed in:
Places we have infrastructure or data centers, including the United States, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden, among others
Countries where Meta Company Products are available
Other countries where our partners, vendors, service providers and other third parties are located outside of the country where you live, for purposes as described in this Policy
Qualifications & exceptions
The data-center countries are listed 'among others'.
Security & Safeguards · Company commitment
Meta uses standard contractual clauses, adequacy decisions and equivalent mechanisms, and encrypts data in transit
Meta says it relies on appropriate mechanisms for international data transfers and makes sure appropriate safeguards are in place whenever it transfers your information; for example, it encrypts your information in transit over public networks to protect it from unauthorized access. Its examples of transfer mechanisms: standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission and other relevant authorities; determinations from the European Commission and other relevant authorities about whether other countries have adequate levels of data protection; and equivalent mechanisms under applicable laws that apply to data transfers to the United States and other relevant countries.
Supporting quotations
How do we safeguard your information?
We rely on appropriate mechanisms
We also make sure that appropriate safeguards are in place whenever we transfer your information. For example, we encrypt your information when it’s in transit over public networks to protect it from unauthorized access.
Mechanisms we use for global data transfers
We rely on appropriate mechanisms for international data transfers. For example, for information we collect:
We utilize
approved by the European Commission and by other relevant authorities.
We rely on determinations from the European Commission, and from other relevant authorities, about whether other countries have
We use equivalent mechanisms under applicable laws that apply to data transfers to the United States and other relevant countries.
Qualifications & exceptions
Encryption is stated for information in transit over public networks; this passage does not address encryption at rest.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Company practice
Meta accesses, preserves, uses and shares your data for warrants, court orders and subpoenas, the law and safety
Meta's summary: it sometimes has to provide information in response to legal requests when necessary; if a law requires it to keep your information, it keeps it to obey that law; and it sometimes keeps information it thinks will help prevent or stop bad activity on its Products or in the world. It accesses, preserves, uses and shares your information in response to legal requests, like search warrants, court orders, production orders or subpoenas, which come from third parties such as civil litigants, law enforcement and other government authorities; in accordance with applicable law; and to promote the safety, security and integrity of Meta Products, users, employees, property and the public. It may access or preserve your information for an extended amount of time.
Supporting quotations
How do we respond to legal requests, comply with applicable law and prevent harm?
Sometimes we have to provide information to respond to legal requests when necessary
If there’s a law that says we need to keep your information for some reason, we need to comply with it. So we’ll keep information to obey that law.
We also sometimes keep information that we think will help prevent or stop bad activity, either on our Products or in the world
We access, preserve, use and share your information:
In response to legal requests, like search warrants, court orders, production orders or subpoenas. These requests come from third parties
such as civil litigants, law enforcement and other government authorities.
In accordance with applicable law
To promote the safety, security and integrity of Meta Products
, users, employees, property and the public.
We may access or preserve your information for an extended amount of time.
Qualifications & exceptions
Legal requests can come from civil litigants, not only from government authorities.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Company practice
Meta answers legal requests when required, and sometimes when not legally compelled
Meta responds to legal requests where the law requires it to, and at times where it is not compelled by law but a response may affect users in that jurisdiction and is consistent with internationally recognized standards, including, for example, its Corporate Human Rights Policy. It links to information about government requests and how it has responded.
Supporting quotations
When we respond to legal requests
We respond to legal requests where we’re required by law to do so, and at times where we're not compelled by law, but a response:
May affect users in that jurisdiction, and
Is consistent with internationally recognized standards including, for example, our
Learn more about
Qualifications & exceptions
Voluntary responses are limited to cases that may affect users in the jurisdiction and are consistent with internationally recognized standards.
Not stated here
The linked Corporate Human Rights Policy and transparency pages are not supplied.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta shares data with police, governments, its companies and industry peers on a good-faith belief it is necessary
Meta shares your information with law enforcement, government authorities, Meta Companies and other third parties, including industry peers, when it has a good faith belief it is necessary to detect, prevent and address situations such as unauthorized use of its Products; violations of its terms and policies; investigating suspicious activity; protecting itself, including its rights, property, personnel or Products; preventing abuse, fraud or other harmful or illegal activity on and off its Products; protecting you or others, including as part of investigations or regulatory inquiries; and emergencies, such as risk of death or imminent bodily harm.
Supporting quotations
How we promote safety, security and integrity
We share your information with law enforcement, government authorities, Meta Companies and other third parties (including industry peers) when we have a good faith belief it’s necessary to detect, prevent and address a variety of situations, such as:
Unauthorized use of our Products.
Violations of our terms and policies.
Investigating suspicious activity
Protecting ourselves, including our rights, property, personnel or Products
Preventing abuse, fraud, or other harmful or illegal activity, on and off our Products
Protecting you or others, including as part of investigations or regulatory inquiries
Emergency situations, such as risk of death or imminent bodily harm
Qualifications & exceptions
The trigger is Meta's own good faith belief that sharing is necessary; no legal request is required.
The listed situations are examples ('such as').
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Harmful posts can lead Meta to share your data across its companies and disable your accounts there too
Meta's examples: if you unlawfully collect and use Facebook user data, it may share your information to defend itself against claims or in litigation; and if you post threatening or harmful content, it may share your information across the Meta Companies to protect itself and others, which can include blocking your access to certain features or disabling your account across the Meta Companies.
Supporting quotations
Unauthorized use of our Products
For example, if you unlawfully collect and use Facebook user data, we may share your information to defend ourselves against claims or in litigation.
Violations of our terms and policies
For example, if you post threatening or harmful content, we may share your information across the Meta Companies to protect ourselves and others. This can include blocking your access to certain features or disabling your account across the Meta Companies.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples using 'may'.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Company commitment
Meta will notify you before material changes and let you review the revised Policy before you keep using its Products
Meta says it will notify you before it makes material changes to this Policy, and you will have the opportunity to review the revised Policy before you choose to continue using its Products.
Supporting quotations
How will you know the Policy has changed?
We'll notify you before we make material changes to this Policy. You’ll have the opportunity to review the revised Policy before you choose to continue using our Products.
Qualifications & exceptions
Advance notice is promised for material changes; the passage does not define what is material.
Continuing to use the Products after review is presented as your choice.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Context
US residents' state privacy rights are in a separate United States Regional Privacy Notice, not this Policy
For United States residents, the Policy points to a separate United States Regional Privacy Notice to learn more about the consumer privacy rights that may be available to you. That notice is not part of this document.
Supporting quotations
Privacy notice for United States residents
You can learn more about the consumer privacy rights that may be available to you by reviewing the
Qualifications & exceptions
Rights described there 'may be available' depending on where you live.
Not stated here
The United States Regional Privacy Notice is a linked, separate document and is not supplied here, so the specific US state rights are not analyzed in this card set.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Procedure
Questions, complaints or requests go to Meta online or by mail to Privacy Operations in Menlo Park, California
If you have questions about this Policy, or questions, complaints or requests regarding your information, you can contact Meta online or by mail at Meta Platforms, Inc., ATTN: Privacy Operations, 1 Meta Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025. The Policy also links to privacy help pages for Facebook and Instagram and the Facebook Help Center.
Supporting quotations
How to contact Meta with questions
If you have questions about this Policy or have questions, complaints or requests regarding your information, you can contact us as described below.
You can contact us
or by mail at:
Meta Platforms, Inc.
ATTN: Privacy Operations
1 Meta Way
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Inference & Profiling · Company practice
Meta's systems automatically analyze data about you and others to infer your interests for feeds, ads and suggestions
In the part of the policy setting out why and how it processes information, Meta says its systems automatically process information collected and stored about you and others to assess and understand your interests and preferences and give you personalized experiences on and across Meta Company Products, in accordance with its terms. This is how it personalizes features and content (such as Facebook Feed, Instagram Feed, AI at Meta features and Stories); personalizes the ads people see; and makes suggestions for you, such as people you may know, groups or events, or topics to follow, on and off its Products. Its ads system prioritizes which ad to show you based on the audience advertisers want to reach, then matches the ad to people who might be interested.
Supporting quotations
Why and how we process your information
The categories of information we use, and why and how information is processed, are set out below:
Personalizing Meta Products
Our systems automatically process information we've collected and stored associated with you and others to assess and understand your interests and your preferences and provide you personalized experiences on and across the Meta Company Products in accordance with our terms. This is how we:
Personalize features and content (such as your
and Stories);
Personalize the ads people see, and
Make suggestions for you (such as people you may know, groups or events that you may be interested in or topics that you may want to follow) on and off our Products.
Our ads system prioritizes what ad to show you based on what audience advertisers want to reach. Then we match the ad to people who might be interested.
about how we choose the ads that you see.
Qualifications & exceptions
Processing uses information associated with you and with others.
Suggestions can be made off Meta Products as well as on them.
Not stated here
The footnote [86] on how the ads system works is outside this passage.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Personalization can use your posts, camera and voice content, AI chats, purchases, device signals, location and cookies
For personalizing Meta Products, the information Meta uses depends on your factual circumstances but could include: your activity and information you provide (content you create like posts, comments or audio; content provided through its camera feature, camera roll settings or voice-enabled features; metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata, such as content and messages exchanged with them; types of content you view or interact with and how; apps and features you use and actions in them; purchases or other transactions; hashtags; and the time, frequency and duration of your activities); friends, followers and other connections; app, browser and device information (device characteristics and software; what you are doing on your device, like whether the app is in the foreground or your mouse is moving; device identifiers; device signals; information shared through device settings like GPS location; location-related information; network information; performance reports; and information from cookies and similar technologies); and information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
about content and messages, subject to applicable law
Interactions with our features that are part of AI at Meta and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make
Hashtags you use
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products
Friends, followers and other connections
App, browser and device information:
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Information you’ve shared through your device settings (like GPS location)
Information from cookies and similar technologies
Qualifications & exceptions
The list states what 'could' be used; the actual information depends on your circumstances.
Metadata about content and messages is used subject to applicable law.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Device data used for personalization includes identifiers, signals, location, network and performance reports
The app, browser and device information that may be used to personalize Meta Products also includes device characteristics and device software; identifiers that tell your device apart from other users'; device signals; location-related information; information about the network you connect your device to; reports about Meta products' performance on your device; and information from partners, vendors and third parties. A separate WhatsApp help page explains what WhatsApp information is shared with Meta.
Supporting quotations
characteristics and device software
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users’
Device signals
Location-related information
Information about the network you connect your device to
Reports about our products’ performance on your device
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
about what information is shared with Meta.
Qualifications & exceptions
As with the rest of the list, what is actually used depends on your circumstances.
Not stated here
The WhatsApp help page is linked but not supplied.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
Adding WhatsApp to an Accounts Center links it with your other Meta accounts and shares your information with WhatsApp
If you add a WhatsApp account to an Accounts Center with other accounts on Meta Company Products, Meta processes information to associate those accounts with your WhatsApp account and to share your information with WhatsApp. The information used could include your activity and information you provide; friends, followers and other connections; and app, browser and device information. This list covers information from Meta; information WhatsApp shares with Meta is described in a WhatsApp Help Center article.
Supporting quotations
Associating your accounts
If you add a WhatsApp account to an Accounts Center with other accounts on Meta Company Products: To associate your accounts on Meta Company Products with your WhatsApp account in the same Accounts Center and share your information with WhatsApp.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Note: the list below is about information from Meta. For information that WhatsApp shares with Meta see the
Your activity and information you provide
Friends, followers and other connections
App, browser and device information
Qualifications & exceptions
Applies only if you add a WhatsApp account to an Accounts Center with your other accounts.
What is actually used depends on your circumstances.
Not stated here
The WhatsApp Help Center article on what WhatsApp shares with Meta is not supplied.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Providing Meta Products involves storing, sharing, profiling, curating and sometimes human review of your data
Meta says providing its Products includes collecting, storing and, where relevant, sharing, profiling, reviewing and curating information, and in some instances not only automated processing but also manual (human) review, for the purposes listed next in the policy.
Supporting quotations
Providing and improving Meta Products
The provision of the Meta Products includes collecting, storing, and, where relevant, sharing, profiling, reviewing and curating, and in some instances not only automated processing but also manual (human) reviewing, to:
Qualifications & exceptions
Sharing and profiling happen 'where relevant'; human review happens 'in some instances'.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Providing Products covers accounts, partner sign-in, messaging, calls, ads, AI features, analytics and payments
The purposes for which Meta collects, stores and, where relevant, shares, profiles, reviews and curates information to provide its Products are to: create and maintain your account and profile; connect your Meta Products account, including your public profile information, to an integrated partner so you can sign in or share your information; facilitate sharing of content and status; provide and curate features; provide messaging, voice and video calls and ways to connect with others; provide advertising products; provide AI at Meta features that create and understand content (like text, audio, images and videos) and perform actions; undertake analytics; facilitate purchases and payments on Meta Pay or other Meta checkout experiences; and see whether its Products work correctly, troubleshooting and fixing them.
Supporting quotations
Create and maintain your account and profile
Connect your Meta Products account, including your public profile information, to an integrated partner to sign in or share your information
Facilitate the sharing of content and status
Provide and curate features
Provide messaging services, the ability to make voice and video calls and connect with others
Provide advertising products
that do things like create and understand content (like text, audio, images and videos) and perform actions
Undertake analytics
Facilitate your purchases and payments on Meta Pay or other Meta checkout experiences
See if our Products are working correctly, such as troubleshooting, and fixing it when it’s not working
Qualifications & exceptions
Profiling and sharing apply 'where relevant' and human review 'in some instances' (stated in the introduction to this list).
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta uses information to develop, research and test product improvements, get feedback and run surveys
Meta also uses information to develop, research and test improvements to Meta Products: developing and improving products and features; building and testing new products and features; getting feedback on its ideas; and conducting surveys and other research about what you like about its Products and brands and what it can do better.
Supporting quotations
We also use information to develop, research and test improvements to Meta Products. We use information we have to:
Develop and improve products and features
Build and test out new products and features to see if they work
Get feedback on our ideas for products or features
Conduct surveys and other research about what you like about our Products and brands and on what we can do better for Meta Products and brands
Use & Processing · Company practice
Providing and improving Products can use message content, public profile, truncated card data, support selfies and IP
For providing and improving Meta Products, the information used depends on your circumstances but could include: content you create; your public profile information (name, username and profile picture); content provided through the camera feature, camera roll settings or voice-enabled features; messages you send and receive, including their content, subject to applicable law; metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata; content you view and how you interact; apps and features you use; purchases or other transactions, including truncated credit card information; hashtags; the time, frequency and duration of your activities; your photo or video selfie if you provide it when contacting Meta for account support; friends, followers and other connections; app, browser and device information (device characteristics and software, on-device activity like app foreground status or mouse movement, device identifiers, device signals, device-settings information, location-related information, network information including your IP address, and cookie information); and information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Your public profile information (including your name, username and profile picture)
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
Messages you send and receive, including their content, subject to applicable law
Metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law
Interactions with our features that are part of AI at Meta and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make, including truncated credit card information
Hashtags you use
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products
Your photo or video selfie if you provide it when you contact us for account support
Friends, followers and other connections
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Qualifications & exceptions
Use of message content and metadata is 'subject to applicable law'.
The list states what 'could' be used; actual use depends on your circumstances.
Selfies are used only if you provide them for account support.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Device data for providing Products: characteristics, on-device activity, identifiers, signals, location, cookies
The app, browser and device information that could be used to provide and improve Meta Products includes device characteristics and device software; what you are doing on your device, like whether the app is in the foreground or your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots); identifiers that tell your device apart from other users'; device signals; information you have shared through your device settings; location-related information; and information from cookies and similar technologies, as well as information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users’
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Location-related information
Information from cookies and similar technologies
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta develops AI for its products and third parties using public posts and your chats with its AI features
Meta processes information to develop and improve AI at Meta for Meta Products and for third parties. The information used depends on your circumstances but could include public content you or others create or share, like posts, comments or audio on Meta Products; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata, such as content and messages you or others exchange with these features; and information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
Developing and improving AI at Meta
Develop and improve
for Meta Products and for third parties.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Public content you or others create or share, like posts, comments or audio on Meta Products
Interactions with our features that are part of AI at Meta and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features.
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
Qualifications & exceptions
The AI being developed serves third parties as well as Meta Products.
For posts, comments and audio, the listed category is public content; private content is not listed for this purpose, but AI interactions are.
The policy's update notice states that information shared with AI at Meta features is used to improve AI at Meta unless you have objected (card ig-pp-001-update).
Not stated here
This section itself does not describe how to object; the objection route named in the update notice is on a linked page that is not supplied, and whether objection also covers public content is not stated.
Security & Safeguards · Company practice
For safety Meta processes data automatically and sometimes by human review to verify, investigate and remove content
Meta says its Products are designed to research and help ensure the safety, integrity and security of its services and the people who use them, on and off Meta Products. It processes information associated with you using automated techniques and, in some instances, manual (human) review to verify accounts and activity; find and address violations of its terms or policies (with some decisions reviewed by the Oversight Board); investigate suspicious activity; detect, prevent and combat harmful or unlawful behavior, such as reviewing and in some cases removing content reported to it; and identify and combat disparities and racial bias against historically marginalized communities. The list continues in the next part of the policy.
Supporting quotations
Promoting safety, integrity and security on and across the Meta Products
The Meta Products are designed to research and help ensure the safety, integrity and security of those services and those people who enjoy them, on and off Meta Products. We process information we have associated with you and apply automated processing techniques and, in some instances, conduct manual (human) review to:
Verify accounts and activity
Find and address violations of our terms or policies. In some cases, the decisions we make about violations are reviewed by the
Investigate suspicious activity
Detect, prevent and combat harmful or unlawful behavior, such as to review and, in some cases, remove content reported to us
Identify and combat disparities and racial bias against historically marginalized communities
Qualifications & exceptions
Human review happens 'in some instances'.
Safety processing covers activity on and off Meta Products.
Security & Safeguards · Company practice
Safety processing also protects life and mental health, fights spam and threats, and maintains Product integrity
Continuing the safety, integrity and security purposes, Meta processes information to protect the life, physical or mental health, well-being or integrity of its users or others; detect and prevent spam, other security matters and other bad experiences; detect and stop threats to its personnel and property; and maintain the integrity of its Products. It points to the Facebook Security Help Center and Instagram Security Tips for more.
Supporting quotations
Protect the life, physical or mental health, well-being or integrity of our users or others
Detect and prevent spam, other security matters and other bad experiences
Detect and stop threats to our personnel and property
Maintain the integrity of our Products
For more information on safety, integrity and security generally on Meta Products, visit the
Use & Processing · Company practice
Safety processing can use your posts, message content, AI chats, purchases with truncated card data and support selfies
For safety, integrity and security, the information Meta uses depends on your circumstances but could include: content you create; content provided through its camera feature, camera roll settings or voice-enabled features; messages you send and receive, including their content, subject to applicable law; metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata; types of content you view and how you interact; apps and features you use and actions in them; purchases or other transactions, including truncated credit card information; hashtags; the time, frequency and duration of your activities; your photo or video selfie if you provide it for account support; and friends, followers and other connections.
Supporting quotations
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
Messages you send and receive, including their content, subject to applicable law
Metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law
and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make, including truncated credit card information
Hashtags you use
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products
Your photo or video selfie if you provide it when you contact us for account support
Friends, followers and other connections
Qualifications & exceptions
Message content and metadata are used subject to applicable law.
The list is what 'could' be used, depending on your circumstances.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Safety processing can use device characteristics, on-device activity, identifiers, signals, location, IP and cookies
The app, browser and device information that could be used for safety, integrity and security includes device characteristics and software; what you are doing on your device, like whether the app is in the foreground or your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots); device identifiers; device signals; information shared through device settings; location-related information; information about your network, including your IP address; and information from cookies and similar technologies, plus information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users’
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Location-related information
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Information from cookies and similar technologies
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta uses your contact details, content and device data to email or notify you and to reply when you contact it
Meta uses information you have given it, like contact information on your profile, to send you communications such as e-mails or in-product notices; for example, it contacts you by email or in-product notification about Meta Products, product-related issues, research or its terms and policies. It also uses contact information like your email address to respond when you contact it. The information used could include contact information on your profile and your communications with Meta; content you create; and content provided through the camera feature, camera roll settings or voice-enabled features.
Supporting quotations
Communicating with you
We use information you’ve given us (like contact information on your profile) to send you a communication, like an e-mail or in-product notice, for example:
We’ll contact you via email or in-product notifications in relation to the Meta Products, product-related issues, research or to let you know about our terms and policies.
We also use contact information like your email address to respond when you contact us.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Contact information on your profile and your communications with us
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is what 'could' be used, depending on your circumstances.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Communications processing can also use device data, identifiers, signals, location, IP address and cookies
For communicating with you, the app, browser and device information that could be used includes device characteristics and software; on-device activity such as app foreground status or mouse movement; device identifiers; device signals; information shared through device settings; location-related information; network information, including your IP address; and information from cookies and similar technologies.
Supporting quotations
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users’
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Location-related information
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Information from cookies and similar technologies.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta transfers, stores and processes your data across borders, including to and from the United States
As a processing purpose, Meta transfers, stores or processes your information across borders, including from and to the United States and other countries. It shares information globally, internally across its offices and data centers and externally with partners, third parties and service providers. It says transfers are necessary to operate and provide the services described in the terms of the Meta Products you use (including letting you share and connect with family and friends around the globe) and to fix, analyze and improve its Products.
Supporting quotations
Transferring, storing or processing your information globally
Transferring, storing or processing your information across borders, including from and to the United States and other countries: We share information we collect globally, both internally across our offices and data centers and externally with our partners
. Because Meta is global, with users, partners, vendors and employees around the world, transfers are necessary:
To operate and provide the services described in the terms that apply to the Meta Product(s) you are using. This includes allowing you to share information and connect with your family and friends around the globe; and
To fix, analyze and improve our Products.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Global transfers can involve your posts, camera and voice content, AI chats, purchases, selfies and connections
For transferring, storing or processing information globally (detailed in the policy's 'How do we transfer information?' section), the information used depends on your circumstances but could include: content you create; content provided through the camera feature, camera roll settings or voice-enabled features; metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata; types of content you view and how you interact; apps and features you use; purchases or other transactions, including truncated credit card information; hashtags; the time, frequency and duration of your activities; your photo or video selfie if provided for account support; and friends, followers and other connections.
Supporting quotations
For more information, see the "How do we transfer information?" section of the Meta Privacy Policy.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
Metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law
and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make, including truncated credit card information
Hashtags you use
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products
Your photo or video selfie if you provide it when you contact us for account support
Friends, followers and other connections
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is what 'could' be used, depending on your circumstances.
Metadata is used subject to applicable law.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Global transfers can involve device data, identifiers, signals, location, IP address, cookies and partner data
The app, browser and device information that could be involved in global transfers includes device characteristics and software; on-device activity such as app foreground status or mouse movement; device identifiers; device signals; information shared through device settings; location-related information; network information, including your IP address; information from cookies and similar technologies; and information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users’
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Location-related information
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Information from cookies and similar technologies
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
Use & Processing · Company practice
Sensitive details you choose to give, like religion, sexuality, politics or health, are stored, published and analyzed
Meta processes information subject to special protections under applicable laws that you provide, so it can share it with those you choose, provide, personalize and improve its Products, and undertake analytics. For these purposes it collects, stores, publishes and applies automated, or sometimes manual (human), processing. The information could include any information with special protections that you choose to provide, such as your religious views, sexual orientation, political views, health, racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs or trade union membership, or information provided in surveys you choose to take, or where you have given explicit consent.
Supporting quotations
Processing information with special protections
Processing information subject to special protections under applicable laws that you provide so we can share it with those you choose, to provide, personalize and improve our Products and to undertake analytics. We’ll collect, store, publish and apply automated, or sometimes manual (human), processing for these purposes.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Any information with special protections that you choose to provide, such as your religious views, your sexual orientation, political views, health, racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs or trade union membership, or as part of surveys you choose to participate in, or where you have given your explicit consent
Qualifications & exceptions
This covers special-protection information you choose to provide, survey responses you choose to give, or information covered by your explicit consent.
Elsewhere the policy states this information is not used to show you ads.
Linking & Identification · Company practice
Advertisers' data about your off-Meta activity personalizes ads, even if you are logged out or have no account
Meta uses information that advertisers, businesses and other partners give it about your activity off the Meta Company Products, which it has associated with you, to personalize the ads it shows you on its Products and on websites, apps and devices that use its advertising services. It receives this information whether or not you are logged in or have an account on its Products, referring to its Cookies Policy for more. The information could include information and content you provide, such as your name or email address, and information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
Using information from third parties for personalizing ads
Receiving and using information from third parties to tailor the ads you see: We’ll use information that advertisers, businesses and other partners provide us about activity off the Meta Company Products that we have associated with you to personalize ads that we show you on our Products, and on websites, apps and devices that use our advertising services. We receive this information whether or not you’re logged in or have an account on our Products, see the
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Information and content you provide, such as your name or email address
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
Qualifications & exceptions
Receipt does not depend on being logged in or having an account.
Ads personalized this way can appear off Meta Products, on sites, apps and devices using Meta's advertising services.
Not stated here
The Cookies Policy is a separate document and is not supplied.
How off-Meta activity is associated with a person who has no account is not explained in this passage.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
At your direction Meta shares contact or profile data with advertisers or with apps you log into
Meta shares information with third parties at your request; the type of third party and information shared depend on what you ask it to share. For example, it shares your email or other contact information, or other information you choose, when you direct it to share with an advertiser so the advertiser can contact you about a promoted product; and if you choose to integrate other apps, games or websites with Meta Products and log in, it shares your information with them to log you in. The information could include your contact or profile information and content you create, like posts or comments.
Supporting quotations
Sharing information with third parties at your request
The type of third party and categories of information shared depend on the circumstances of what you ask us to share. For example:
We share your email (or other contact information) or other information you might choose when you direct us to share it with an advertiser so they can contact you with additional information about a promoted product, and
If you choose to integrate other apps, games or websites with Meta Products and log in, we’ll share your information with the app, game or website to log you in.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Information such as your contact or profile information
Content you create, like posts or comments
Qualifications & exceptions
This sharing follows your request or choice.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta processes data about you and others to give businesses ad measurement and aggregated audience insight reports
For measurement, analytics and business services, Meta's systems automatically, and with some manual (human) processing, process information collected and stored about you and others. Meta uses it to give businesses, advertisers and other partners insights and measurement reports that help them measure the effectiveness and distribution of their or their clients' ads, content and services, understand the kinds of people seeing their content and ads, and see how their content and ads perform on and off Meta Products; and to provide aggregated user analytics and insights reports that help users, businesses, advertisers and partners understand audiences they may want to connect with, the types of people who use their services, and how people interact with their content, websites, apps and services.
Supporting quotations
Our systems automatically, as well as with some manual (human) processing, process information we have collected and stored about you and others. We use this information to:
Provide insights and measurement reports to businesses, advertisers and other partners to help them measure the effectiveness and distribution of their or their clients’ ads, content and services, to understand the kinds of people who are seeing their content and ads, and how their content and ads are performing on and off Meta Products, and
Provide aggregated user analytics and insights reports that help users, businesses, advertisers and other partners better understand the audiences with whom they may want to connect, as well as the types of people who use their services and how people interact with their content, websites, apps and services.
Qualifications & exceptions
The analytics and insights reports in the second purpose are described as aggregated; the first purpose (insights and measurement reports) does not use that word.
Some manual (human) processing is involved.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Measurement can use your posts, camera content, AI chats, viewing, purchases, hashtags, activity time and connections
For measurement, analytics and business services, the information used depends on your circumstances but could include content you create; content provided through the camera feature, camera roll settings or voice-enabled features; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata; types of content you view and how you interact; apps and features you use; purchases or other transactions; hashtags; the time, frequency and duration of your activities; and friends, followers and other connections.
Supporting quotations
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make
Hashtags you use
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products
Friends, followers and other connections
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is what 'could' be used, depending on your circumstances.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Measurement can use device characteristics, on-device activity, identifiers, signals, location, IP address and cookies
The app, browser and device information that could be used for measurement, analytics and business services includes device characteristics and software; on-device activity such as app foreground status or mouse movement; device identifiers; device signals; information shared through device settings; location-related information; network information, including your IP address; and information from cookies and similar technologies.
Supporting quotations
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Location-related information
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Information from cookies and similar technologies
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Meta shares your data across its companies for seamless cross-app sharing and viewing, using content and activity
Under 'Providing a seamless experience', Meta shares information across the Meta Companies to provide a seamless, consistent, richer and innovative experience across Meta Company Products, enabling cross-app interactions and sharing, viewing and engaging with content, including posts and videos. The information could include content you create; content provided through the camera feature, camera roll settings or voice-enabled features; metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata; types of content you view and how you interact; apps and features you use; purchases or other transactions; hashtags; the time, frequency and duration of your activities; and friends, followers and other connections.
Supporting quotations
Providing a seamless experience
Sharing of information across the Meta Companies:
To provide a seamless, consistent and richer, innovative experience across the Meta Company Products to enable cross app interactions, sharing, viewing and engaging with content, including posts and videos.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
Metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law
and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make
Hashtags you use
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products
Friends, followers and other connections
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is what 'could' be used, depending on your circumstances.
Metadata is used subject to applicable law.
Sharing & Disclosure · Company practice
Cross-company sharing can include device data, identifiers, signals, location, IP address and cookies
For the seamless cross-company experience, the app, browser and device information that could be shared includes device characteristics and software; on-device activity such as app foreground status or mouse movement; device identifiers; device signals; information shared through device settings; location-related information; network information, including your IP address; and information from cookies and similar technologies. A WhatsApp help page explains what WhatsApp information is shared with Meta.
Supporting quotations
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users'
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Location-related information
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Information from cookies and similar technologies
about what information is shared with Meta.
Not stated here
The WhatsApp help page is linked but not supplied.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Meta analyzes usage in aggregate across its Products to count people and businesses accurately
For business intelligence and analytics, Meta processes information to understand, in aggregate, your usage of and across its Products, so it can accurately count people and businesses. The purpose list continues in the next part of the policy.
Supporting quotations
Business intelligence and analytics
To understand, in aggregate, your usage of and across our Products, to accurately count people and businesses; and
Qualifications & exceptions
The understanding is described as 'in aggregate'.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Usage metrics are validated to steer products and meet shareholder and earnings reporting, using activity data
Business intelligence and analytics also include validating metrics directly related to counting people and businesses, to inform and improve product direction and development and to meet (shareholder/earnings) reporting obligations. The information used could include content you create; camera, camera roll or voice-feature content; metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata; types of content you view and how you interact; apps and features you use; purchases or other transactions; hashtags; the time, frequency and duration of your activities; and friends, followers and other connections.
Supporting quotations
To validate metrics directly related to these, in order to inform and improve product direction and development and to adhere to (shareholder/earning) reporting obligations.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
Metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law
and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make
Hashtags you use
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products
Friends, followers and other connections
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is what 'could' be used, depending on your circumstances.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Business analytics can use device characteristics, identifiers, signals, location, IP address, cookies and partner data
For business intelligence and analytics, the app, browser and device information that could be used includes device characteristics and software; on-device activity such as app foreground status or mouse movement; device identifiers; device signals; information shared through device settings; location-related information; network information, including your IP address; information from cookies and similar technologies; and information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users'
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Location-related information
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Information from cookies and similar technologies
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
Linking & Identification · Company practice
In other apps, Meta identifies you as its user and tailors Audience Network ads using data about you and others
When Meta shows you ads through Meta Audience Network as you visit other apps, its systems automatically process information collected and stored about you and others to identify you as a Meta Product user and tailor the ads you see. The information used could include information you provide; content you create; camera, camera roll or voice-feature content; metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata; types of content you view and how you interact; apps and features you use; purchases or other transactions; hashtags; the time, frequency and duration of your activities; and friends, followers and other connections.
Supporting quotations
Personalizing ads on Meta Audience Network
Identifying you as a Meta Product user and personalizing the ads we show you through
When we show you ads through Meta Audience Network when you visit other apps, our systems automatically process the information we have collected and stored about you and others to identify you as a Meta Product user and tailor the ads you see.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Information you provide
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
Metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law
and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make
Hashtags you use
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products
Friends, followers and other connections
Qualifications & exceptions
This applies when you visit other apps that show ads through Meta Audience Network.
The list is what 'could' be used, depending on your circumstances.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Audience Network ad tailoring can use device characteristics, identifiers, signals, IP address and cookies
For identifying you and tailoring Audience Network ads, the app, browser and device information that could be used includes device characteristics and software; on-device activity such as app foreground status or mouse movement; device identifiers; device signals; information shared through device settings; network information, including your IP address; and information from cookies and similar technologies.
Supporting quotations
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users'
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Information from cookies and similar technologies
Use & Processing · Company practice
Depending on your settings and the law, Meta uses your contact details and device identifiers to send marketing
Depending on your settings and subject to applicable law, Meta sends you marketing communications. It collects and stores your information and uses it to send marketing communications to you, like emails, subject to applicable laws. The information used could include information and content you provide, including contact information like your email address, and device identifiers.
Supporting quotations
Providing marketing communications
Depending on your settings and subject to applicable law, we’ll share marketing communications with you.
We’ll collect and store your information and use it to send marketing communications to you, like an email, subject to applicable laws.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Information and content you provide, including your contact information like email address
App, browser and device information:
Device identifiers
Qualifications & exceptions
Marketing depends on your settings and is subject to applicable law.
Use & Processing · Company practice
For social-good research Meta combines, analyzes and shares information, including with collaborating researchers
Meta carries out surveys and uses information, including from researchers it collaborates with, to conduct and support research and innovation on general social welfare, technological advancement, public interest, and health and well-being; for example, it analyzes information it has about migration patterns during crises to help relief organizations get aid to the right places. It collects, stores, combines, analyzes and applies automatic processing such as aggregation, as well as manual (human) review, and shares information, as necessary for this research. It also supports research in areas like artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Supporting quotations
We carry out surveys and use information (including from researchers we collaborate with) to conduct and support research and innovation on topics of general social welfare, technological advancement, public interest, health and well-being.
For example, we analyze information that we have about migration patterns during crises. This helps relief organizations get aid to the right places.
We collect, store, combine, analyze and apply automatic processing techniques like aggregation of information as well as manual (human) review, and share information, as necessary to research and innovate for social good in this way.
We support research in areas like artificial intelligence and machine learning.
about our research programs.
Qualifications & exceptions
Sharing is described as 'as necessary' for this research; aggregation is one technique named, not a stated requirement.
Not stated here
The linked research programs page is not supplied.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Research can use your posts, camera content, AI chats, viewing, purchases, hashtags, activity time and connections
For research and innovation for social good, the information used depends on your circumstances but could include content you create; camera, camera roll or voice-feature content; metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata; types of content you view and how you interact; apps and features you use; purchases or other transactions; hashtags; the time, frequency and duration of your activities; and friends, followers and other connections.
Supporting quotations
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
Metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law
and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make
Hashtags you use
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products
Friends, followers and other connections
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is what 'could' be used, depending on your circumstances.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Research can use device characteristics, identifiers, signals, location, IP address, cookies and partner data
For research and innovation, the app, browser and device information that could be used includes device characteristics and software; on-device activity such as app foreground status or mouse movement; device identifiers; device signals; information shared through device settings; location-related information; network information, including your IP address; information from cookies and similar technologies; and information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users’
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Location-related information
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Information from cookies and similar technologies
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
Use & Processing · Company practice
In some cases Meta anonymizes your on- and off-Product activity and uses the result to improve Products, including ads
In some cases Meta anonymizes information associated with you, such as your activity on and off its Products, and uses the resulting information, for example, to provide and improve Meta Products, including ads. The information that could be anonymized includes content you create; camera, camera roll or voice-feature content; metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata; types of content you view and how you interact; apps and features you use; purchases or other transactions; hashtags; the time, frequency and duration of your activities; and friends, followers and other connections.
Supporting quotations
Anonymizing your information
In some cases, we anonymize information we have associated with you, such as your activity on and off our Products, and use the resulting information, for example, to provide and improve our Meta Products, including ads.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
Metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law
and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make
Hashtags you use
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products
Friends, followers and other connections
Qualifications & exceptions
Anonymization happens 'in some cases'.
The anonymized information can be used for ads.
Not stated here
The anonymization method is not described.
Data Access & Collection · Company practice
Anonymized data can include device characteristics, identifiers, signals, location, IP address, cookies and partner data
The app, browser and device information that could be anonymized and used includes device characteristics and software; on-device activity such as app foreground status or mouse movement; device identifiers; device signals; information shared through device settings; location-related information; network information, including your IP address; information from cookies and similar technologies; and information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users’
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Location-related information
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Information from cookies and similar technologies
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Company practice
Voluntary answers to legal requests typically include limited data, like contact and login details
For sharing information with others, including law enforcement, and responding to legal requests, the categories of information Meta accesses, preserves, uses and shares depend on the specific circumstances. For example, responses to legal requests where Meta is not compelled by law will typically include limited information, such as contact details and login information. The information processed depends on the purpose, which could include responding to legal requests from third parties such as civil litigants, law enforcement and other government authorities; complying with applicable law or legitimate legal purposes; and promoting the safety, security and integrity of Meta Companies, Meta Products, users, employees, property and the public. The policy refers back to its legal-requests section for when it shares with law enforcement and others.
Supporting quotations
See the "How do we respond to legal requests, prevent harm and promote safety and integrity?" section of the Meta Privacy Policy for more for information on when we share information with law enforcement and others.
The categories of information we access, preserve, use and share depend on the specific circumstances. For example, responses to legal requests where not compelled by law will typically include limited information (such as contact details and login information).
However, the information we process will depend on the purposes, which could include the following:
In response to legal requests from third parties such as civil litigants, law enforcement and other government authorities
To comply with applicable law or legitimate legal purposes
To promote the safety, security and integrity of Meta Companies, Meta Products, users, employees, property and the public
Learn more about how we promote safety, security and integrity.
Qualifications & exceptions
'Typically' limited: the passage does not rule out broader information in voluntary responses.
What is processed depends on the purpose and circumstances.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Company practice
Legal and safety sharing can involve your posts, camera content, AI chats, purchases, selfies and connections
For sharing with others, including law enforcement, and responding to legal requests, the information used depends on your circumstances but could include content you create; camera, camera roll or voice-feature content; metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata; types of content you view and how you interact; apps and features you use; purchases or other transactions; hashtags; your photo or video selfie if provided for account support; and friends, followers and other connections.
Supporting quotations
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
Your activity and information you provide:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
Metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law
and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make
Hashtags you use
Your photo or video selfie if you provide it when you contact us for account support
Friends, followers and other connections
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is what 'could' be used, depending on your circumstances.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Company practice
Legal and safety sharing can involve device data, identifiers, signals, location, IP address, cookies and partner data
For sharing with others, including law enforcement, the app, browser and device information that could be used includes device characteristics and software; on-device activity such as app foreground status or mouse movement; device identifiers; device signals; information shared through device settings; location-related information; network information, including your IP address; information from cookies and similar technologies; and information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users’
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Location-related information
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Information from cookies and similar technologies
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Company practice
When legally obliged, as with a search warrant, Meta shares only what is necessary with regulators or police
Where Meta is under an obligation to disclose information, for example if it receives a valid legal request such as a search warrant, it will access, preserve and/or share your information with regulators, law enforcement or others. How the information is processed depends on the circumstances, and Meta points to its legal-requests section and its 'Information for Law Enforcement Authorities' guidelines. The categories depend on each mandatory request or obligation; only the information necessary to comply with the relevant legal obligation will be shared or otherwise processed. For civil matters this will typically be limited information, such as contact details and login information, but depending on the circumstances it could include the categories listed next.
Supporting quotations
Processing information when required by law
Where we are under an obligation to disclose information such as, for example, if we receive a valid legal request for certain information such as a search warrant, we will access, preserve and/or share your information with regulators, law enforcement or others.
The way in which the information will be processed depends on the specific circumstances. See the "How do we respond to legal requests, prevent harm and promote safety and integrity?" section of the Meta Privacy Policy for more.
provides information on the operational guidelines law enforcement needs to follow.
The actual information we use depends on your factual circumstances, but could include any of the following:
The categories of information depend on the specific circumstances of each mandatory request or obligation. Only the information necessary to comply with the relevant legal obligation will be shared or otherwise processed. For example, for civil matters, this will typically include limited information (such as contact details and login information). However, depending on the circumstances it could include the following:
Qualifications & exceptions
Only information necessary to comply with the legal obligation is shared or processed.
Civil-matter disclosures are 'typically' limited to contact and login details, but can be broader depending on circumstances.
Not stated here
The linked law enforcement guidelines are not supplied.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Company practice
Mandatory disclosures can include message content, posts, AI chats and purchases with truncated card data
Depending on the circumstances of a mandatory request or obligation, the information disclosed could include content you create; camera, camera roll or voice-feature content; messages you send and receive, including their content, subject to applicable law; metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law; interactions with AI at Meta features and related metadata; types of content you view and how you interact; apps and features you use; purchases or other transactions, including truncated credit card information; hashtags; and the time, frequency and duration of your activities.
Supporting quotations
Your activity and information you provide:
Content you create, like posts, comments or audio
Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features
Messages you send and receive, including their content, subject to applicable law
Metadata about content and messages, subject to applicable law
and related metadata. For example, information like content and messages you or others exchange with these features
Types of content you view or interact with, and how you interact with it
Apps and features you use, and what actions you take in them
Purchases or other transactions you make, including truncated credit card information
Hashtags you use
The time, frequency and duration of your activities on our Products
Qualifications & exceptions
Message content and metadata are disclosed subject to applicable law.
Only information necessary to comply is shared.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Company practice
Mandatory disclosures can also include support selfies, connections, device data, location, IP address and cookies
The information that could be disclosed under a mandatory legal request or obligation also includes your photo or video selfie if you provided it for account support; friends, followers and other connections; app, browser and device information (device characteristics and software, on-device activity such as app foreground status or mouse movement, device identifiers, device signals, information shared through device settings, location-related information, network information including your IP address, and information from cookies and similar technologies); and information from partners, vendors and third parties.
Supporting quotations
Your photo or video selfie if you provide it when you contact us for account support
Friends, followers and other connections
App, browser and device information:
Device characteristics and device software
What you’re doing on your device, like whether our app is in the foreground or if your mouse is moving (which can help tell humans from bots)
Identifiers that tell your device apart from other users’
Device signals
Information you’ve shared through your device settings
Location-related information
Information about the network you connect your device to, including your IP address
Information from cookies and similar technologies
Information from partners, vendors and third parties
Qualifications & exceptions
Only information necessary to comply with the legal obligation is shared, depending on the circumstances.
Inference & Profiling · Company practice
Meta predicts your ad interests, matches advertisers' audiences and ranks ads with machine learning
Meta's ads system works this way: it uses your information to determine the ad interests most relevant to you, trying to predict them from the information it has, including choices you have made in Ad preferences. Advertisers say which audience they want to reach, which can include age, gender, location or interests (for example, women in Dublin who like golf). Its system automatically reviews all potential ads where you might fit the advertiser's audience, and decides which to show based on things like whether an ad best achieves the advertiser's goal and is most relevant to you, using algorithms and machine learning to order ads. Factors include ad quality, the advertiser's desired audience and budget, and how likely Meta thinks you are to react to the ad based on things like your activity on Meta Products. It uses this process to choose the ad you see on Meta Company Products.
Supporting quotations
How our ads system works
Our ads system works in the following way:
We use your information to determine the ad interests most relevant to you. We try to predict your ad interests based on the information we have, including any choices you've made in Ad preferences.
Advertisers tell us which audience they want to reach based on who they think will be most interested. This can include things like age, gender, location where advertisers want to show their ad or interests, such as women, based in Dublin, who like golf.
We review the potential ads that we could show you to identify the most relevant ones. Our ads system automatically reviews all the potential ads where you might fit the audience that advertisers want to reach. For example, you may see potential ads because you match the age range and interest category. We determine which ones to show you based on things like whether it best achieves the advertiser’s goal and is most relevant to you. To do this, we use algorithms and machine learning to order the ads we may show you. We use different factors such as the ad quality, the advertiser's desired audience and budget. We also consider how likely we think it is that you will react to the ad based on things like your activity on Meta Products.
All of this information helps us show you the most relevant ads. When you see an ad on Meta Company Products, we use this process to choose the most relevant ad to show you.
Qualifications & exceptions
Your Ad preferences choices are one input to the interest predictions.
Advertiser budget and goals are ranking factors alongside relevance to you.
Not stated here
The linked help page on ad ranking is not supplied.