Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has paused its plans to use publicly shared posts from these platforms to train artificial intelligence (AI) models in the UK and European Union (EU). This decision comes in response to 11 legal challenges faced in Europe, leading the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) to request a delay in the training of these large language models.
The legal challenges were initiated by Noyb, a European campaign group advocating for digital rights. Noyb argues that Meta’s proposed changes “override the fundamental right to data protection and privacy” of European users. In response to the DPC’s request for a delay, Stefano Fratta, Meta’s global engagement director for privacy policy, expressed disappointment but indicated hope for a resolution over the summer.
Meta emphasized that its approach to using data for AI training is more transparent and offers easier controls compared to many industry counterparts, such as Google and OpenAI, which have already used data from Europeans to train AI. A Meta spokesperson stated, “Our approach is more transparent and offers easier controls than many of our industry counterparts already training their models on similar publicly available information.”
Users in the EU and UK are protected by stringent data protection rules, giving them the right to object to their data being used for AI training. Once Meta resumes its plans, users will be notified through a notification or email, offering them the opportunity to object before the changes take effect. Meta is directing users to a form where they can explain their objections, promising to review these requests in accordance with relevant data protection laws.
The delay has also affected the release of Meta AI in Europe. Mr. Fratta noted, “Put simply, without including local information we’d only be able to offer people [in Europe] a second-rate experience. This means we aren’t able to launch Meta AI in Europe at the moment.” He added that Meta would continue to work collaboratively with the DPC to ensure that people in Europe receive the same level of AI innovation as the rest of the world.
As Meta navigates the legal landscape in Europe, it underscores the importance of balancing technological advancement with data privacy rights. The resolution of these challenges will be crucial in determining the future of AI development and deployment in the European market.
