Meta Introduces Muse Assistant — Consumers Wary of Sharing More Data

Meta’s new digital helper, Muse, promises conversational answers and personalized recommendations, but many users say they’re not yet comfortable with giving the company additional access to their information.

Meta announced Muse this week as its latest consumer-facing artificial-intelligence assistant, positioned to offer everything from quick search-like replies to tailored shopping suggestions across its apps. The company frames Muse as a feature to simplify everyday tasks for people who already use Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, but the move raises familiar concerns about what Meta will collect and how it will use that material.

Privacy advocates and some users reacted cautiously almost immediately. Critics point to Meta’s recent history around data practices and advertising as a reason for skepticism, noting that handing an account holder more contextual data could sharpen ad targeting or be repurposed in ways people did not expect. “People want utility, but they also want control,” said Dr. Lina Patel, director of the Center for Digital Trust. “If Muse requires broad data access, many will limit it or avoid it entirely.”

Meta says Muse includes safeguards: local controls for data sharing, clearer prompts about what the assistant stores, and opt-outs for personalization. The company also claims it has trained Muse to reduce wrong or misleading answers, though independent testers caution that no system is immune to errors. Observers predict users will judge the tool on both usefulness and how often it produces confidently wrong replies — a problem that can erode trust faster than minor privacy trade-offs.

Regulators and competitors are watching. Tech rivals that already market assistants will use Muse’s debut to highlight differences in approach, while lawmakers overseas continue to press big platforms on transparency and user rights. Analysts say the rollout will be a test not just of Muse’s technical strengths, but of whether Meta can persuade a portion of its audience that more personalized help is worth the trade-off.

For now, adoption may hinge on small decisions: how defaults are set, whether privacy settings are simple to find, and how fast Meta addresses errors users report. If the company can make controls straightforward and limit surprises, some people will try Muse. If not, many will stick with more familiar tools or mute the feature altogether.