Meta backs down on using EU social media to train its AI

Meta canceled its launch of Meta AI in Europe in response to objections to its plan to train its models on users’ social media data.

Earlier this month, Meta notified European users of its social media platforms that it intended to use their publicly posted data to train its models. The proposed changes to its terms of service received swift backlash from GDPR regulators and privacy advocacy groups.

Meta took a similar approach to OpenAI by incorporating in Ireland so that it could be shielded by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) as it navigated the GDPR privacy laws.

But now, even the Irish DPC, which has been accused of helping tech companies circumvent the GDPR, has said that Meta’s plans may be a step too far.

Meta’s plans to use EU users’ Facebook and Instagram posts would have gone into effect on 26 June 2024 but have now been canceled.

In a statement, Meta said, “We’re disappointed by the request from the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), our lead regulator, on behalf of the European DPAs, to delay training our large language models (LLMs) using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram…This is a step backwards for European innovation, competition in AI development and further delays bringing the benefits of AI to people in Europe.”

Meta insists that other companies operating in the EU are already doing what it proposes and that Meta is “more transparent than many of our industry counterparts.”

Collective punishment?

Without EU user data Meta says “we’d only be able to offer people a second-rate experience. This means we aren’t able to launch Meta AI in Europe at the moment.”

Privacy advocacy group NOYB, which filed 11 complaints with various data protection agencies over Meta’s plans, cautiously welcomed the latest developments.

(Preliminary) noyb win: @Meta stops using EU/EEA data for “Meta AI” after 11 complaints by noyb and mounting criticism by other EU/EEA data protection authorities!

More: https://t.co/bTpIAhBVkI https://t.co/czThdIcNca

— noyb (@NOYBeu) June 14, 2024

NOYB chair Max Schrems said, “We welcome this development, but will monitor this closely. So far there is no official change of the Meta privacy policy, which would make this commitment legally binding. The cases we filed are ongoing and will need a determination.”

A simple solution that would satisfy GDPR requirements would be for Meta to have users give express consent via an opt-in, instead of having to opt-out.

Schrems said, “The Meta press release reads a bit like ‘collective punishment’. If any European insists on his or her rights, the entire continent will not get our shiny new products. However, Meta has every option to roll out AI based on valid consent – it just chooses not to do so.”

This doesn’t change the fact that Meta continues to use non-EU users’ data to train its models without an opt-out option, but it does illustrate the power of regulation and community pushback.

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