FALCON POWERS – The parent company of Facebook and Instagram will soon use public posts to “help develop and improve their artificial intelligence.”
A new notice for users of the mobile Instagram and Facebook apps in Europe in May informed them that it is possible to use their public posts to train the company’s own AI, effective from June 26.
The Instagram Help Center stated that the information used may include posts, photos, captions, and messages sent to AI, but not the content of private messages.
The parent company “Meta”, in a statement last week, said it will start notifying users in the UK and the European Union about how they will use the “public information you’ve shared about Meta’s products and services” to develop and improve their own AI, within the privacy laws of each region.
Does this comply with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?
Under GDPR regulations, a company or organization can process personal data when it has “legitimate interests” as a legal basis.
Meta cited this legal basis, adding that the data will be used “to develop and improve artificial intelligence.”
It will be possible to opt out of having your data used in this way by submitting a form to Facebook, which is currently unavailable, or to Instagram.
The notice stated: “We will review opt-out requests in accordance with relevant data protection laws. If your request is accepted, it will be applied going forward.”
However, despite the ability to opt-out, your data can still be used by Meta if it appears in a post shared by someone else or is mentioned in another user’s posts or comments.
