Meta Platforms Faces 11 Complaints Over Breaches of EU Privacy Laws in AI Data Use
Summary:
Meta Platforms has received 11 complaints related to its proposed changes in the way it uses personal data for training AI models without securing consent. The changes could potentially breach EU privacy laws. Privacy group NOYB has urged action to halt such usage. NOYB claims Meta's new policy would use personal posts, images, and tracking data for AI development. The group has asked data protection authorities in 11 countries to review these changes urgently.
Meta Platforms, on June 5, was hit with 11 complaints about its planned adjustments to procedures for employing personal data to train artificial intelligence models sans obtaining permission. The proposed changes could be in violation of European Union privacy laws. The privacy rights organization, None of Your Business (NOYB), has urged privacy regulators to step in to halt such practices. The concerns were lodged in several countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Spain.
The accusations maintain that Meta's updated privacy rules, set to kick in from June 26, would authorize the firm to leverage years of personal posts, private pictures, and web tracking data for its AI systems. NOYB, apprehending these imminent modifications, has implored the data protection jurisdictions in these 11 countries to commence an urgent assessment.
NOYB, in a declaration, pointed out that Meta's altered privacy conduct legitimizes usage of user data to advance its AI models and other AI instruments, which might be shared with third parties. This policy alteration affects several millions of European users, inhibiting them from erasing their data once it's fed into the system.
Previously, NOYB has lodged numerous allegations against Meta and other tech giants claiming infringement of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This could impose penalties amounting up to 4% of a concern's total worldwide revenue for contraventions.
Max Schrems, the founder of NOYB, in his remarks, highlighted that already in 2021, the European Court of Justice delivered a crucial verdict on this matter, which could act as a yardstick to handle Meta's intended exploitation of personal data. He further conveyed that Meta can't overlook user's data protection rights in the name of 'legitimate interest' especially regarding advertising. That, according to him, is what Meta is repetitively doing, turning a blind eye to the rulings of the CJEU and entrusting users with the onus of safeguarding their privacy. He affirmed that Meta should explicitly seek user consent rather than resorting to obscure and deceiving opt-out choices.
Schrems emphasized that Meta must solicit direct permission to use user data. Contrarily, Meta has left it up to the users to opt-out of data utilization, which is unsuitable. In a similar incident in July 2023, Google faced legal action following changes in its privacy policy, with the lawsuit alleging the misuse of a large amount of data, including copyrighted content, for AI training.
Published At
6/6/2024 1:58:13 PM
Disclaimer: Algoine does not endorse any content or product on this page. Readers should conduct their own research before taking any actions related to the asset, company, or any information in this article and assume full responsibility for their decisions. This article should not be considered as investment advice. Our news is prepared with AI support.
Do you suspect this content may be misleading, incomplete, or inappropriate in any way, requiring modification or removal?
We appreciate your report.