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AI LiteratePrivacy & Your Data lesson

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Step 2 of 8Explainer7 min

Where your data goes

Your data takes a trip. Follow it through four stops.

Collected. An app gathers data when you use it.

Used. A company may use it to target ads or train AI.

Shared. Some apps share data with partners and advertisers.

Sold. A is a company that collects information about people and sells it.

Diagram of data moving from your phone to use, then sharing, then sale.

Fact

As of 2026, AI companies handle data differently. Some train on what you share unless you opt out.

Think about it

Ask this each time: does the app need that data to work?

Does the app need this data to work?

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A map app and your location

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Sources5 links behind the facts on this page
  1. FTC Recommends Congress Require the Data Broker Industry to be More Transparent and Give Consumers Greater Control Over Their Personal Information (FTC, May 27, 2014)
  2. Who Is Collecting My Kid's Data, And What Are They Doing With It? (Common Sense Media)
  3. What happens to the secrets you share with AI (Axios, August 17, 2026)
  4. Data Policy (Instagram Help Center)
  5. Be careful what you tell your AI chatbot (Stanford HAI, October 15, 2025)