If you use Facebook or Instagram, Meta uses your data to train AI models, as the company uses posts as training material for its generative AI systems.
Privacy legislation in the UK and EU means that the company is forced to offer an opt-out option, although it does so in a somewhat unclear way.
Meta’s data sharing practices caught people’s attention after Facebook and Instagram sent a notification to users in Europe informing them of a privacy policy update, as Meta rolls out new general AI features in the region.
On a separate page, the Generative AI Privacy Policy says that Meta uses the information you publish regarding Meta’s products and services, including things like posts or photos and captions, to train AI models, noting that the company does not use private messages for training data. .
A Meta spokesperson said the company notifies people in accordance with its obligations under local privacy laws.
According to the notification received by users, the changes will take effect on June 26, 2024.
Users outside the EU and UK did not receive a notification, although the notification appears to be in effect based on the company’s data sharing policy.
Meta has been publishing its generative AI features since September 2023. It began with the ability to tag the Meta AI chatbot in conversations across WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram, and to chat with AI personas, which are characters based on licensed celebrity photos.
More recently, Meta expanded its AI features by making Meta AI the default search bar across WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Facebook while allowing users to chat with the AI regarding specific posts.
Users based in the UK and EU have a right to object, meaning they can opt out of having their data shared to train AI models, although the process is difficult and deliberately designed to reduce the number of users who might use it.
