Heads Up, Europe! Meta's AI Tool May Use Your Public Data Without Your Consent
Meta's AI use faces concern from the Dutch privacy authority, mirroring similar cautions from other regulatory bodies.
The Dutch privacy authority, Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP), has issued a stark warning to Facebook and Instagram users across Europe. The regulator expressed concern about Meta's plans to utilize user data for training its artificial intelligence tool, Meta AI.
The AP is questioning whether Meta's opt-out approach complies with the legal requirements. They emphasized that it's still unclear whether Meta will be granted the green light for its project.
Meta announced the rollout of Meta AI across the EU earlier this month, following its debut in the US last September. However, the expansion in Europe faced a halt last summer due to regulatory uncertainty. The Irish Data Protection Commission had urged Meta to delay the launch, as it intended to employ adult users' Facebook and Instagram data to train its large language models (LLMs).
In a statement, AP's Vice-Chair Monique Verdier highlighted the risk of losing control over personal data, which may end up in the AI model without full understanding of its subsequent uses. If users don't object before May 27, Meta will automatically utilize their public data for Meta AI training.
Similar warnings have been issued by the data protection regulator of the German state of Hamburg and the Belgian privacy watchdog.
Meta's Vice President, Public Policy Europe, Markus Reinisch, acknowledged the need for regulation to safeguard citizens' fundamental rights. However, he raised concerns about discriminatory implementation of regulations that negatively impact their business models.
Meta has historically expressed dissatisfaction with the EU's tech rules since the US administration under Donald Trump took office. Europe's regulatory action against US tech companies has been criticized for pushing the continent "to the sidelines," according to Meta's new global policy chief, Joel Kaplan.
This article has been updated to clarify that the changes do not apply to Whatsapp.
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- EU Policy
- Artificial intelligence
- Meta
Need to Oppose Meta AI Data Use? Here's How:
- Review Privacy Settings: Ensure that your privacy settings are set to minimize data sharing.
- Opt-Out: Look for options to opt-out of data collection for AI purposes, though these may not be immediately available.
- Stay Informed: Keep yourself updated on AI usage and privacy policies to make informed decisions.
- The European privacy authority, Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP), has expressed concerns about Meta's plans to use user data for training its artificial intelligence tool, Meta AI, raising questions about the opt-out approach's compliance with existing legal requirements.
- Meta AI's expansion across the EU, following its debut in the US, has faced regulatory hurdles, as the Irish Data Protection Commission urged a delay in the launch last summer due to uncertainties in the policy-and-legislation landscape.
- Similar warnings against Meta's data collection practices for AI models have been issued by regulatory bodies like the data protection regulator of the German state of Hamburg and the Belgian privacy watchdog.
- In a statement, AP's Vice-Chair Monique Verdier emphasized the risk of losing control over personal data, which may end up in the AI model without a full understanding of its subsequent uses, urging users to object before the deadline of May 27 to prevent Meta from automatically utilizing their public data for Meta AI training.
- Meta's Vice President, Public Policy Europe, Markus Reinisch, acknowledged the need for regulation to safeguard citizens' fundamental rights but raised concerns about the potential for discriminatory implementation of regulations impacting their business models.
