Meta Platforms announced it will start using public posts and user interactions in the European Union to improve its AI models. This decision comes after the delayed launch of Meta’s AI features in Europe, which were initially set for June 2024. Regulatory scrutiny around data privacy postponed the rollout, even though these features debuted in the United States in 2023.
The company reported that EU users will receive notifications about the data being used for AI training. This data includes interactions with Meta AI, like questions and prompts, and public content shared by adult users. Notably, private messages and data from users under the age of 18 will not be included in the training.
Additionally, Meta will offer a form for EU users who wish to object to the use of their public data. This move aims to address some privacy concerns but has still faced criticism. The privacy rights group NOYB urged national regulators to prohibit the use of public content for AI development.
The Irish Data Protection Commission, which requested the earlier delay, is also investigating other tech companies. X (formerly Twitter) and Google are under scrutiny for their data practices related to AI training. Meanwhile, the European Commission has yet to comment on Meta’s recent developments regarding data usage for AI.