AI privacy concerns: How to opt out of the Big Tech data harvest

Your internet activity is the lifeblood of AI, and that can feel scary. Can you opt out of the AI data harvest? Well, you can’t slam the door shut, but you can tighten the latch. We’ll guide you through it.

Products you’ve used daily for years without ever paying a dime—Google, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit—feel like no-strings-attached freebies. But you’ve always paid with your data. And you’ve agreed to it, even though the agreement might have been buried deep in a 50-page Terms of Service. 

As ex-Google design ethicist Tristan Harris puts it, “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.” In other words, all that “free” browsing isn’t actually free; your personal information foots the bill. By contrast, some online services—often the ones you pay for—offer a clearer exchange, using your data strictly to deliver the product rather than turning it into currency.

A new wave of AI privacy concerns

Whether we like it or not, the convenience-for-data trade-off is the house rule in our age of endless connectivity. That has spurred a new wave of AI privacy concerns. Last fall, a social-media flurry took hold, with users attempting to ward off data-hungry algorithms by posting disclaimers: “I do not give Meta or anyone else permission to use any of my personal data, profile information or photos,” and “Goodbye Meta AI.”

But as legal experts will tell you, posting a disclaimer on social media rarely changes what Big Tech can do with your data. The good news is that new AI data collection regulations and AI privacy controls are emerging, and many major apps now offer some—partial yet beneficial—controls for AI privacy.

A step-by-step guide to AI privacy in Big Tech apps

Managing your AI privacy in Big Tech apps is less about total anonymity and more about minimizing what’s up for grabs. Still, no matter how diligent you are, using these apps—and the internet at large—inevitably feeds into AI data collection of some sort.

Taking control of your AI privacy is not a one-click magic button but a series of steps, and here we’ll guide you through them. However, exact settings and instructions for AI privacy can change over time and sometimes vary by region. Most of these controls won’t explicitly say “AI privacy settings”, but that is fundamentally what they are: ways for you to control what their algorithms gather about you.

How to take control of your AI privacy with Google (and Youtube)

Ad Personalization

• Navigate to Google’s Ad Settings.

• Turn off Ad Personalization or uncheck any interest categories.

• This prevents Google from using your browsing habits to tailor ads.

Location History

• Visit Google Account > Data & Privacy > Location History.

• Disable Location History.

• Clear past location data if you wish to remove old footprints.

Activity Controls

• Go to My Activity.

• Review Web & App Activity, YouTube History, and Voice & Audio Activity.

• Pause or delete them if you prefer not to let Google store your usage patterns.

How to take control of your AI privacy with Facebook (and Instagram)

Privacy checkup

• Facebook’s Privacy Checkup tool walks you through who can see your posts, how to control ads, and which apps have permissions.

• On Instagram, set your account to Private in the settings, limiting who can view your content.

Off-Facebook activity

• In Facebook’s Settings, find Your Facebook Information > Off-Facebook Activity.

• You can manage or clear data that external apps and websites share with Facebook about your visits.

Ad preferences

• Both Facebook and Instagram let you adjust Ad Preferences.

• Remove interest categories or disallow advertisers from using your personal data for targeted campaigns.

How to take control of your AI privacy with TikTok

Personalized ads

• In the TikTok app, go to Settings & Privacy > Privacy > Personalization and Data.

• Toggle off “Use of Off-TikTok Activity” if available (this option may differ by region).

Disable contacts & sync

• Under Settings & Privacy > Privacy, you can prevent TikTok from automatically accessing your contacts or Facebook friends.

• This reduces how much personal network data TikTok collects.

Limit In-app data usage

• Look for the Data Saver option in Settings.

• While primarily for bandwidth, some in-app data collection features might be curtailed when Data Saver is active.

How to take control of your AI privacy with Reddit

Personalization settings

• Log in to Reddit on a browser, then go to User Settings > Safety & Privacy.

• Uncheck options under Personalization & Data such as “Use data to personalize ads” or “Use data from partners.”

Profile visibility

• If you prefer more anonymity, consider using a handle unlinked to your real-world identity.

• In User Settings, check your profile preferences to ensure minimal personal info is on display.

Third-party app access

• Under User Settings > Safety & Privacy or Apps & Sessions, remove or limit access to third-party apps you no longer use.