Brussels (Brussels Morning) â Social media giant Meta has delayed the launch of its new artificial intelligence (AI) agenda in the European Union following objections in several Member States that the company was abusing usersâ profile data.
Meta, the parent company of some of the worldâs largest social media platforms, prepared to implement a new privacy policy on 26 June. It would permit it to use years of its usersâ public data, including individual details, photos, posts and statements, to teach its AI program that could, for example, render text and images or answer user queries.
However, the company has now revealed it will be postponing the rollout of this software. This judgment follows a series of complaints ensconced in Europe about the AI initiative and the lack of information obtained by users.
What Are the Complaints Against Metaâs New Privacy Policy?
Prominent Austrian privacy advocate, Max Schrems, via his NGO âNone of Your Businessâ (Noyb), filed complaints objecting to Metaâs plans in 11 European countries including Belgium last week. Noyb criticised the social network corporationâs new privacy guidelines and contended that Meta operates a âmisleading and complicatedâ opt-out model rather than pursuing explicit consent (opt-in) for personal data usage.
Later in the week, the consumer protection association Test Achats filed a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority against Metaâs new privacy policy. It claimed that users are not properly notified about it and cannot effectively exercise their right to object.
How Did Privacy Advocates Influence Metaâs AI Decision?
According to the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), where Metaâs European headquarters are housed, there has been âintense communicationâ between the controller and the corporation concerning the new policy. It now asked that Meta temporarily suspend the use of European data in the AI models.
Without âlocal informationâ, Meta signifies the roll-out of its new AI services would deliver a âsecond-rate experienceâ. Consequently, they selected against launching Meta AI, a competitor to the likes of OpenAIâs popular ChatGPT, in Europe for now.
Meta explained this as a âsetback for European innovation and competitiveness in AI developmentâ. The corporation also stressed that its approach complies with âEuropean laws and regulationsâ and claims to be more evident than other industry players. In a brief response, the DPC welcomed Metaâs decision.
Critics argue that most people will likely have assumed the changes without blinking an eye, nyob cautioned that the changes pose threats to their privacy. It appears the company intends to use years of personal posts, private images or online quest data for an undefined âAI technologyâ that can take personal data from any reference and share any information with undefined âthird partiesâ.
âMeta is stating that it can use âany data from any source for any purpose and make it available to anyone in the worldâ, as long as itâs done via âAI technologyâ,â nyobâs Max Schrems expressed. Users arenât given any details about the purposes of the âAI technologyâ â which according to nyob is against the requirements of the GDPR.
