Threads
- The policy allows AI training; it does not describe an opt-out.
- Your data is used for personalized ads, including by third-party ad companies.
- Data is shared with partners and affiliates; you can opt out.
- Staff may review your content; the policy does not describe an opt-out.
Meta collects a lot about you, uses it for ads and AI, and people can review some of it.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
- Uses your content for AI training with no opt-out
Collected
They collect your posts, device IDs, partner data, location you share, and activity even without an account.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“When you use our Products, we collect some information about you even if you don't have an account .”
Training
They use your data to personalize feeds, ads, and Meta AI, and to develop AI from public posts and AI chats.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We use information we collect to provide a personalized experience to you, including ads, along with the other purposes we explain in detail below.”
Sharing
They say they never sell your data, but they share it with advertisers, partners, vendors, and other Meta companies.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We don't sell any of your information to anyone, and we never will.”
Kept
They keep data as long as they need it; deleting an account can take 90 days, plus more time for backups.
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Privacy policy
“We keep information as long as we need it to provide our Products, comply with legal obligations or protect our or other’s interests.”
Controls
You can view, download, delete data, and change ad settings in Facebook, Instagram, and device settings.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We offer you a variety of tools to view, manage, download and delete your information below.”
Fine print
You keep rights in your posts, but they get a broad license until content is deleted; the service is “as is.”
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Terms of service
“You retain ownership of the intellectual property rights (things like copyright or trademarks) in any such content that you create and share on Facebook and other Meta Company Products you use.”
Expand “Read the exact line” to see the source alongside the explanation.
What you can turn off
The controls and opt-outs their own documents describe, and where they say to find them.
Review ad preferences and Off-Meta activity
Privacy Center / settings: Off-Meta activity and Ad preferences
Download or delete your information or account
Settings: Port, download or delete your information
Take a privacy checkup
Privacy Center: Take a privacy checkup / Facebook privacy settings
Avoid sharing sensitive details with Meta AI
AI at Meta chats (used to develop and improve AI per the policy)
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
They can use some of what you share, including public posts and Meta AI chats, to build AI for themselves and others.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Develop and improve AI at Meta for Meta Products and for third parties.”
For example, a public Threads post or a chat with Meta AI could help train or improve their AI tools.
They mix what you do on their apps with data from other companies to pick ads for you.
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Privacy policy
“We’ll use information that advertisers, businesses and other partners provide us about activity off Meta Company Products that we have associated with you to personalize ads”
For example, a store you visited in another app could help decide which ad you see on Threads.
People who work for Meta can look at your information in some cases, not only computers.
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Privacy policy
“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.”
For example, a reviewer might look at a post or AI chat while checking safety or product quality.
What they collect on one Meta app can be used with Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other Meta companies.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We share information we collect, infrastructure, systems and technology with the other Meta Companies.”
For example, activity on Threads can help personalize ads or features on Facebook.
You still own your posts, but they can copy, change, and share them to run and improve the service until the content is deleted.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, , , and worldwide license to host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, publicly perform or display, translate, and create derivative works of your content”
For example, a photo you post can be stored, copied, and shown through their apps and helpers.
When you delete something, it can stay on their systems for months, and backups can last even longer.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“It may take up to 90 days to delete content after we begin the account deletion process or receive a content deletion request.”
For example, after you delete your account, posts may still exist in backups for additional weeks.
If you use camera, photos, or voice features, that content is collected as part of your activity.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Content you provide through our camera feature or your camera roll settings, or through our voice-enabled features”
For example, a voice note or camera photo you share can be stored with your other activity.
They do not promise the apps will always work or stay safe, and they limit what they will pay if something goes wrong.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“Our Products, however, are provided "as is," and to the extent permissible by law, we make no guarantees that they always will be safe, secure, or error-free”
For example, if a bug causes you to lose posts, they may owe you little or nothing under these terms.
You must be at least 13. The terms we read do not describe extra age checks beyond that rule.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“You cannot use Facebook if: You are under 13 years old.”
For example, a 12-year-old is not allowed to have an account under these rules.
They say they will warn you before big privacy-rule changes so you can read them first.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“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.”
For example, if they start using a new kind of data, they say they will tell you before it happens.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- sell or share
- Under California law, selling means passing your data to others for money or other value; sharing means passing it on for targeted ads. For example, letting an ad network use your browsing history in return for ad space counts as a sale.
- third parties
- Any company or person other than you and the app, such as advertisers, partners or analytics firms. For example, an analytics company that receives a record of every screen you tap is a third party.
- worldwide license
- You let the company use your content anywhere on earth, usually for free and for as long as it likes. For example, a video you post can be shown in ads in any country without asking you again.
- sublicensable
- The company can pass its rights over your content on to other companies without asking you. For example, an app can let an advertiser or a partner reuse your video under the licence you gave.
- royalty-free
- The company can use your content without ever paying you for it. For example, your photo can appear in the app's ads and you get nothing.
How we got here · grade C · score 46/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 0 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect posts, messages, device IDs, cookies, partner data, location you share, camera and voice content, and off-app activity, not just what is needed to post.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
Camera, photo, and voice-feature content is collected as activity. The policy does not say it is only used in the moment and then deleted.
Are your chats and uploads used to train AI models, and is that off by default?
They say they use public content and Meta AI chats to develop and improve AI, including for third parties. These documents do not describe a way to turn that off.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
They say systems process your data automatically and that people sometimes review it for the product and for safety. No review opt-out is described.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They show personalized ads using your activity and data from advertisers and partners, including on other apps through Audience Network.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They say they never sell your information, but they share it with advertisers, partners, vendors, and other Meta companies. Ad and privacy settings are offered.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
You keep ownership of your content. You give Meta a worldwide, sublicensable license to use it to provide and improve the products, and that license ends when the content is deleted from their systems.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You can delete content or your account in their tools. They say deletion can take up to 90 days, then more time to clear backups, and some data is kept longer for legal or safety reasons.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
They build a picture of your interests to personalize feeds, suggestions, and ads. The policy does not describe a simple on/off memory control like viewing and editing a saved memory file.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
The terms mention a Meta Bug Bounty Program. They also describe teams and technical systems for safety, but not a full independent audit in these pages.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
You cannot use the covered Facebook products if you are under 13. The documents we read do not describe extra age-proofing.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The privacy policy is dated and says they will notify you before material changes so you can review them. The terms also promise at least 30 days’ notice for most changes.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They can suspend or delete accounts for rule breaks or inactivity. They say they will usually tell you and you can download your information first.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The products are offered “as is,” with warranties disclaimed and their liability limited as far as the law allows.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
These terms say they do not charge you to use the covered products unless they state otherwise. They are funded by ads.
The privacy policy is 7,516 words at a professional or legal expert level (Flesch reading ease 25.9); the terms are 5,563 words at a college graduate level.
