Meta’s data-sharing practices have come under scrutiny following a recent notification sent to European Facebook users about an updated privacy policy. The update, related to Meta using your social media posts to train AI, aligns with the rollout of new generative AI features in the region, prompting questions about how user data is being utilized. The notification also highlights the ongoing conversation about privacy, user consent, and the ethical use of personal data in the digital age.
Meta Using Your Social Media Posts To Train AI: The Details
According to Meta’s generative AI privacy policy, information shared on Meta’s platforms, including posts and photos with captions, is employed to train its AI models. This usage of publicly shared content has raised eyebrows, especially given the vast amount of personal data users share on these platforms daily. Notably, private messages are excluded from this data collection for AI training purposes.
Meta’s spokesperson emphasized that the company is informing users in compliance with local privacy laws, particularly to adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe. The notification received by UK-based user Philip Bloom specified that these changes would take effect on June 26, 2024. This specific approach to user notification underlines the difference in privacy regulations between Europe and other regions, such as the United States, where a similar notification has not been reported.
Implications and User Concerns
The implications of Meta using your social media posts to train AI are consequential. Since September 2023, Meta has been integrating generative AI features, beginning with the capability to tag the Meta AI chatbot in conversations across Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Users can interact with AI personas based on licensed celebrity likenesses such as Snoop Dogg, Charli D’Amelio, and Kendall Jenner. More recently, Meta made Meta AI the default search bar on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, allowing users to chat with AI about specific posts.
Read more: OpenAI Reportedly Working On Search Feature for ChatGPT
