Echto vs Meta AI

Facts checked on 25 October 2026. Echto is in development: its column describes what we commit to, not a finished product.

The short answer

Meta AI is free and built into WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, but it is run by a US company whose business is advertising. In the EU, Meta trains its AI on adults' public posts and Meta AI chats by default unless you object. Echto is a separate, subscription-funded assistant that keeps data in the EU and only trains on your data if you opt in.

Echto and Meta AI at a glance

Numbers refer to the sources at the bottom of this page. Products change often; check the provider's own pages for the latest details.
	Echto	Meta AI
Who runs it	European company, based in the EU	Meta Platforms, Inc. (USA); EU services via Meta Platforms Ireland and WhatsApp Ireland¹²
Where your data goes	Stored and processed only in the EU	Meta transfers EU data to the US under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework; we found no EU-only processing commitment for Meta AI³
How it makes money	Subscriptions	Free to use; Meta's revenue comes mainly from advertising⁴
Chats used for ads	Never	Since Dec 2025 in most regions; the EU was excluded at launch⁴⁵
AI training on your data	Only if you opt in	On by default in the EU for adults' public posts and Meta AI interactions; you can object via a form⁶⁷
Can you switch it off?	It's a separate app you choose to use	No setting fully removes Meta AI from WhatsApp; you can delete or block the chat⁸
Acts on your behalf	Asks before every action	Meta's agent app Muse can book, fill in forms and pay; US only as of October 2026⁹
Price	Not final; subscription	Meta AI is free; Muse has a free tier and paid plans of USD 20 and 100 a month (US)⁹

Who runs Meta AI and where does your data go?

Meta AI is made by Meta Platforms, Inc., a US company. For people in the EU it is offered through Irish subsidiaries, with the Irish Data Protection Commission as lead regulator¹². Meta relies on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework to transfer European personal data to the United States³. Because the parent company is American, US laws such as the CLOUD Act can in principle reach data it controls, wherever it is stored.

Echto is built the other way round: a European company, with data stored and processed only in EU data centres by European providers.

Is your data used for ads or AI training?

Meta announced that, from 16 December 2025, conversations with Meta AI are used to personalise content and ads in most regions, excluding sensitive topics such as health and politics⁴. Reports at launch said the EU and UK were excluded⁵; check Meta's privacy policy for the current situation in your country.

For AI training, Meta has used public posts and comments from adult EU users, plus interactions with Meta AI, since 27 May 2025. The Irish regulator allowed this after Meta added safeguards, and users can object through a form⁶⁷. Consumer groups such as noyb and Verbraucherzentrale NRW have challenged this approach¹⁰¹¹.

Echto has no advertising and does not train AI models on your data unless you explicitly opt in.

What Meta AI does well

It's free and already inside apps billions of people use every day.
Voice, images and the Ray-Ban Meta glasses make it convenient on the go.
Meta's newer models and the Muse agent add planning, shopping and booking features, first in the US⁹¹².

Which should you choose?

If you want a free assistant inside the apps you already use and you're comfortable with how Meta handles data, Meta AI is the easy choice. If you want a personal assistant for email, agenda and everyday tasks that keeps your data in the EU, isn't funded by ads and only learns from you with permission, that's what Echto is being built for.

Frequently asked questions

Does Meta use my Meta AI chats to train its AI in the EU?

Yes, by default. Meta says it trains on adults' public posts and comments and on interactions with Meta AI in the EU, and you can object through a form in Meta's privacy centre. Echto does not train on your data unless you opt in.

Can I remove Meta AI from WhatsApp?

Not completely. WhatsApp has no setting that removes Meta AI; you can delete or block the Meta AI chat. Echto is a separate app you only use if you choose to.

Does Meta use AI chats for advertising?

Meta uses Meta AI conversations to personalise ads and content in most regions since December 2025. The EU was excluded at launch; check Meta's privacy policy for your country. Echto never uses your data for ads.

Is Echto available yet?

Not yet. Echto is in development and people on the waitlist get early access first.

Try Echto early

Echto is a personal AI assistant that keeps your data in the EU, has no ads and doesn't train on your chats unless you opt in. It's in development; the waitlist gets access first.

Join the waitlist

Sources

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