The viral ‘Goodbye Meta AI’ Instagram Story is not all it seems

The "Goodbye Meta AI" Instagram Story template has been making the rounds online with claims that sharing it will disallow Meta AI from using your information and photographs.

It first surfaced a few months back but has seemingly gone viral once more with thousands of social media users sharing the stark warning.

"If you do not post at least once it will be assumed you are okay with them using your information and photos," the text reads. "I do not give Meta or anyone else permission to use any of my personal data, profile information or photos."

However, it has since been outed as a hoax with zero effect.

"Does posting a statement ensure that users of Meta services will not have their data used in Meta's artificial intelligence training? No, that's not true: Posting the viral statement, or any other statement, doesn't mean that Meta will not use that data for AI training, but users in Europe can object via a form in their account settings," a fact-check on Lead Stories reads.

"The statement is an example of 'copypasta', text containing information that's often not true but which is repeatedly copied and pasted online."

The 'Goodbye Meta AI' story that's sweeping the social media platform / Instagram

The viral post has since gone on to birth a conversation on the professional networking platform Linkedin.

Natalia Cortazar, founder of influencer agency The Good Egg, wrote: "Remember the old email chains you had to share or you'd die? I present you the 2024 version."

Along with a screengrab of the template, she urged followers: "Please, don't be this person. Especially if you work in social."

"I keep seeing marketers sharing this on Instagram, which is very worrying," one response read, while another quipped: "Haha this gave me joy yesterday seeing this - reminded me of the chain mail you'd get as a kid and freak out for a week if it was true."

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