Meta, the social media giant, has decided to halt its plans to utilize personal data for the training of its artificial intelligence technology in Europe. This decision came after facing privacy complaints from a Vienna-based privacy campaign group in 11 European countries. The complaints were centered around Meta’s proposed privacy policy change, which was deemed to potentially enable the “unlawful” use of personal data for training an unspecified type of current and future AI technology.
The complaints were lodged by the European Center for Digital Rights, also known as Noyb (None of Your Business). The group raised concerns about Meta’s intention to leverage all public and non-public user data collected since 2007 for its AI technology. They sought intervention from data protection authorities in the 11 European nations to prevent the implementation of Meta’s new privacy policy, slated to take effect by the end of June.
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) issued a statement expressing appreciation for Meta’s decision to pause its plans regarding the training of its large language model using public content from Facebook and Instagram users across the European Union and the European Economic Area. The DPC disclosed that there had been extensive discussions between them and Meta leading to this outcome. They also affirmed their commitment to engaging with Meta and other EU data protection authorities on this matter.
Despite Meta’s decision to pause its plans, Noyb founder Max Schrems emphasized that the cases filed by the group against the tech giant are still ongoing and warrant a definitive resolution. He highlighted the importance of closely monitoring the situation as Meta’s commitment is not yet legally binding. Noyb has a track record of initiating legal actions against major technology firms, which have often catalyzed regulatory responses since its inception in 2018 with the enforcement of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.
The pause in Meta’s AI training plans in Europe underscores the significance of data protection and privacy concerns in the digital age. The regulatory oversight and advocacy efforts by organizations like Noyb serve as vital safeguards to ensure that tech companies uphold the rights and interests of users in their data processing practices, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence training.
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