Did you know Pinterest is using your data to train its AI?
Many social media services have begun implementing AI, and now Pinterest has followed suit. Anyone who uses Pinterest will now have their data used to train “Pinterest Canvas,” a generative artificial intelligence program (GenAI).
This is concerning because many artists share their content on Pinterest, such as their personal photography, art, and more, which may now be used to train AI.
On Mar. 6, 2025 a pop-up appeared on Pinterest announcing a privacy policy change where Pinterest plans to utilize users’ data to train their GenAI technology, including media that people upload.
COMPASS Freshman Isabella McConnehea shared that she did not notice any announcement about a privacy policy change on Pinterest. When asked about the update she states, “I don’t think that’s okay because what are they gonna use my data for? Why do they need that for AI?”
When logged in to Pinterest, users can access a “Manage GenAI settings” page where Pinterest states, “When you save or upload content to Pinterest, we may use it to improve the accuracy, safety and overall performance of Pinterest Canvas.”
According to Pinterest’s AI page, “We use GenAI technology to make ads more engaging and improve campaign performance for advertisers by enabling creation of backgrounds on product images using Pinterest Canvas, our image generation foundation model.”
Pinterest users are able to opt out of this change and protect their data from AI use at Pinterest, such as AI image generation. Users can go to their account settings, click on “Privacy and data,” then opt out of Pinterest’s “Use your data to train Pinterest Canvas” feature. Keep your data safe!
