Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has recently been criticised for its plan to use personal data to train artificial intelligence (AI) models without seeking user consent.
The advocacy group NOYB (none of your business) has called on privacy enforcers across Europe to stop this practice, arguing that it violates users’ data protection rights.
Meta Faces Backlash Over AI Training Using Personal Data Without Consent
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- Meta’s plan to use personal data for AI training without consent sparks backlash from privacy advocates.
- NOYB files complaints against Meta in 11 European countries, urging immediate action from privacy watchdogs.
- The controversy highlights the ongoing debate between AI advancement and user privacy protection.
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Meta’s Controversial Plan
Meta’s updated privacy policy, set to take effect on June 26, has raised concerns among privacy advocates.
The changes would allow the company to train its AI technology using years of personal posts, private images, and online tracking data.
This move has sparked outrage, with NOYB urging national privacy watchdogs to take immediate action.
Complaints and Urgency Procedure
NOYB has launched 11 complaints against Meta and has requested data protection authorities in various European countries, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Spain, to initiate an urgent procedure.
The advocacy group argues that Meta’s approach violates privacy laws and goes against the rulings of the European Court of Justice (CJEU).
Meta’s Response and Justification
In response to the criticism, Meta has referred to a blog post from May 22, stating that it uses publicly available online and licensed information and data that users have shared publicly on its products and services to train its AI models.
The company claims its approach is consistent with other tech giants like Google and OpenAI and complies with privacy laws.
Concerns Over Non-User Data
One of the most alarming aspects of Meta’s plan is that it may process information about individuals who do not use its products or services and do not have an account if they appear in images or are mentioned in posts or captions shared by users.
This has raised further concerns about the extent of Meta’s data collection and usage practices.
The Debate Over Legitimate Interest
Meta has previously cited a “legitimate interest” in using users’ data to train and develop AI models, which can be shared with third parties.
However, NOYB founder Max Schrems argues that the CJEU has already ruled against this justification in advertising, and the same principle should apply to AI training.
Opting Out and User Responsibility
Schrems has also criticized Meta for shifting the responsibility of opting out onto users, calling it “completely absurd.”
He emphasizes that the law requires Meta to obtain opt-in consent rather than providing a hidden and misleading opt-out form.
Schrems believes that if Meta wants to use users’ data, they should directly ask for permission instead of making users navigate a complicated process to be excluded.
Meta’s plan to use personal data for AI training without explicit consent has sparked a heated debate about privacy rights and tech companies’ responsibilities.
As the June 26 deadline for the privacy policy changes approaches, all eyes are on the European data protection authorities to see how they will respond to NOYB’s complaints and whether they will take action to protect users’ data privacy in the face of Meta’s controversial practices.
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