Meta AI's data access across Facebook and Instagram extended over a two-day period, raising privacy concerns for users.
Meta's AI Among Most Data-Hungry, Study Finds
A Dutch cybersecurity firm, Surfshark, has published a study revealing that Meta's AI, in competition with the likes of ChatGPT, could soon draw on the posts of European Facebook and Instagram users. Users wishing to retain their privacy have until tomorrow evening to opt out.
According to the investigation conducted on eleven popular conversational robots, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and Deepseek, Meta's AI, formerly known as Facebook, stands out for its intense data appetite. Maud Lepetit, France manager at Surfshark, affirmed, "Compared to its rivals, Meta's AI is far more intrusive in the private lives of its users."
The study found that Meta's AI collects over 32 types of data ranging from coordinates and geolocation to the content of exchanges. This is more than double the average collected by other market players. Moreover, the AI was found to be particularly keen on sensitive personal data such as sexual orientation, religion, political opinions, and health status.
Furthermore, along with Microsoft's Copilot, Meta AI is among the only two robots that share user data with advertisers. This allows Meta to refine the targeting of its ads on Instagram and Facebook, according to Maud Lepetit, who added, "If I'm planning my vacation with Meta AI's help, I can expect the information I provide to be sold to companies like Booking.com."
The study comes as Meta plans to use the information from European Instagram and Facebook users to train its AI. Meta's AI requires data to enhance its performance, which it will gather from its users' conversations and public posts on Instagram and Facebook. However, WhatsApp private conversations are not affected.
To opt out, users with a Facebook or Instagram account must go to the Privacy Center in the settings menu, click on Opt Out, enter the email address associated with their account, and finally click on Send. It is important to note that this opt-out only applies to content published by the user themselves and will not prevent Meta AI from using content concerning the user that was published by another user.
EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires Meta to review opt-out requests in accordance with data protection laws. However, acceptance is not guaranteed, and users may need to actively submit objection requests. Furthermore, some EU users who already opted out have had to do so again, drawing criticism and legal challenges for alleged violations of GDPR principles.
In conclusion, to stop Meta from using your personal data from Facebook and Instagram in Europe for AI training, actively look for and submit opt-out requests via your account settings before the deadline. Monitor communications from Meta about confirming your opt-out status and keep informed about ongoing developments as legal challenges may affect how data usage policies evolve.
- Despite Meta's AI's intense data appetite, surpassing that of its competitors in the realm of personal-finance and technology, users have until tomorrow evening to opt out of their data being used for AI training, as revealed in a recently published study.
- The study also uncovered that Meta's AI, like its counterpart Microsoft's Copilot, shares user data with advertisers for targeted advertisement purposes on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, labeling it as a privacy concern in the field of personal-finance and technology.
