Disable Snapchat’s AI Selfie Ads: Protect Your Privacy

If you’ve been using Snapchat’s My Selfie feature, you may want to review its settings. This AI-generated selfie tool allows Snapchat to use your face in personalized ads and sponsored content, as reported by 404 Media.

What Happens When You Use My Selfie

"My Selfie" generates AI images from your photos, and upon first use, Snapchat prompts users to agree to terms allowing their likeness to appear in personalized ads. The terms specify:

“You also acknowledge and agree that by using My Selfie, you (or your likeness) may also appear in personalized sponsored content and ads that will be visible only to you and that includes branding or other advertising content of Snap or its business partners without compensation to you.”

How to Turn Off the Feature

The “See My Selfie in Ads” setting is automatically enabled once you agree to the terms, according to reports from 404 Media and The Verge. To check and disable this, tap your profile photo, go to settings, select My Selfie, and toggle off the “See My Selfie in Ads” option.

Snapchat’s Data Privacy Approach

Snapchat reassures users that it does not share Gen AI data, including My Selfies, with third-party advertisers. According to Snapchat spokesperson Maggie Cherneff, advertisers cannot access users’ private data, and My Selfies are not currently used in ads.

Implications for Data Privacy and the Industry

Snapchat’s AI selfie feature raises important questions about the use of personal data in advertising. While the company reassures users that their data is not shared with third-party advertisers, the ability to use AI-generated images in ads could push other platforms to adopt similar practices, prompting broader discussions around data privacy and user consent in the industry.