Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has announced the launch of a new AI-powered system to identify privacy risks in its app updates. The company aims to make the process faster and more efficient by automating up to 90% of the product risk assessment work.
According to technology sources, this move is part of Meta’s commitment to user privacy and regulatory compliance. Since 2012, Meta has been required under a U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agreement to review privacy risks before releasing any product update. Until now, these reviews were carried out manually by experts.
With the new AI system, product teams will fill out a digital questionnaire for every update. Based on their responses, the AI will automatically detect potential privacy risks and highlight the conditions that must be met before an update is approved. This is expected to significantly reduce review time.
The system is designed to handle low-risk updates quickly and consistently. However, in more complex or unusual cases, human experts will still be involved to ensure that no critical issues are missed. This hybrid approach aims to balance speed with accuracy.
Meta says the initiative will lead to smoother and safer product launches, enhancing user experience across all platforms. The company also revealed that it has already invested over $8 billion in its privacy program and remains committed to developing innovative products while meeting legal requirements.
However, not everyone is fully convinced. Some experts have expressed concerns that over-reliance on AI could lead to delays in spotting more complicated privacy issues. A former executive warned that while the process may be faster, it might also increase the chances of missing serious problems early on.