Meta Resumes AI Training on EU User Data Amid Privacy Concerns

Meta to start training its AI models on public content in the EU | TechCrunch

Meta announced on Monday that it's going to train its AI models on public content, such as posts and comments on Facebook and Instagram, in the EU after previously pausing its plans to do so in response to regulatory pressure due to to data privacy concerns. The company will start training its AI on users' content in the EU this week, it said. Users' interactions with Meta AI will also be used to train its models. The announcement comes after a limited version of Meta AI launched in the EU last month, well after its debut in the U.S. and other global markets. While Meta has been training its AI on user-generated content in the U.S. for years, it has faced resistance in the EU due to the bloc's strict privacy laws, particularly the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires a clear legal basis for processing personal data to train AI models. Meta said back in June 2024 that it would pause plans to start training its AI systems using user data in the EU and U.K. following pushback from the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). The DPC regulates Meta in the EU and was acting on behalf of several data protection authorities across the bloc. In September 2024, Meta said it was restarting efforts to train its AI systems using public posts from its U.K. user base. Fast forward to today, Meta has announced that it will do so with public posts from its EU userbase as well. "Last year, we delayed training our large language models using public content while regulators clarified legal requirements," Meta said in its blog post. "We welcome the opinion provided by the EDPB in December, which affirmed that our original approach met our legal obligations. Since then, we have engaged constructively with the IDPC and look forward to continuing to bring the full benefits of generative AI to people in Europe." Starting this week, users in the EU will start receiving in-app and email notifications to explain that Meta will start using public data and interactions with Meta ai to train its models. These notifications will include a link to a form that will allow users to opt out of their data being used. Meta says it will honor all objection forms it has already received, as well as newly submitted ones. Meta notes that it doesn't not use private messages, nor public data from users under the age of 18 in the EU, to train its models. "We believe we have a responsibility to build AI that's not just available to Europeans, but is actually built for them," Meta says. "That's why it's so important for our generative AI models to be trained on a variety of data so they can understand the incredible and diverse nuances and complexities that make up European communities. That means everything from dialects and colloquialisms, to hyper-local knowledge and the distinct ways different countries use humor and sarcasm on our products." Meta says it's following the example set by companies like Google and OpenAI, both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models. Meanwhile the DPC is not moving on entirely from scrutinizing how Large Language Model creators are training their AI services. Last week, the regulator announced it was investigating xAI's training of Grok.

Meta AI will soon train on EU users' data

Meta has announced that it's preparing to train AI on the data of EU users of its apps, including Facebook and Instagram. The company says that includes things like public posts, comments, and their chat history with Meta AI, but won't include "private messages with friends and family." It also only applies to those who are over 18, the company says. According to Meta, it will start notifying its EU users about the training this week, via in-app notifications and email, and will include a link to an objection form for those who want to opt out. You should be able to find such a link in its privacy policy, which says as of this writing that, based on regulator feedback, the company is still delaying its plans to train AI models on EU user data. Meta put its AI-training plans in Europe on hold last year after being asked to do so by Irish regulators.

Meta set to resume training AI models on EU user posts

Meta on Monday said it plans to start training its AI models using public posts and comments shared by adults in the EU, along with interactions users have with its chatbot. The Facebook goliath said users will begin receiving in-app and email notifications explaining what data will be used - which excludes private messages and any content from those under the age of 18. These notices will include a link to an objection form, to opt out, which Meta insists is easy to use and will be honored. "This training, which follows the successful launch of Meta AI in Europe last month, will better support millions of people and businesses in the EU by teaching AI at Meta to better understand and reflect their cultures, languages and history," the social ad biz said. Last year, Meta - which owns WhatsApp, Threads, and Instagram as well as Facebook - agreed to pause plans to train its AI models on public content from EU users following complaints from privacy advocacy group NOYB. Meta - which develops internal and openly available neural networks, such as the Llama series - primarily did so at the request of the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), expressing disappointment at the time. Lack of access to public content shared by Europeans, Zuck & co argued, would limit the ability of its AI models to understand what's happening on social media. The American tech giant argued that Europeans will be ill-served by culturally incompetent AI models. At the request of the DPC, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) in December published an opinion about how the fundamental data protection rights recognized under Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) can be reconciled with AI models and how they get trained. The decision looks at: The circumstances under which an AI model can be considered anonymous, how data controllers can show they have a legitimate interest in data as it applies to AI model training and deployment, and what are the consequences when an AI model is deemed to have unlawfully processed personal data. Critics argue the EDPB position leaves room for interpretation, potentially giving companies legal wiggle room in the name of fostering AI-driven economic growth, including incentives tied to datacenter investments. "AI technologies may bring many opportunities and benefits to different industries and areas of life," EDPB chair Anu Talus said in a statement last December. "We need to ensure these innovations are done ethically, safely, and in a way that benefits everyone. The EDPB wants to support responsible AI innovation by ensuring personal data are protected and in full respect of the GDPR." The situation is similar in the UK, where concerns about AI fairness and data privacy have taken a back seat to the government's push for AI-led economic growth. With its regulatory obstacles flattened, Meta last month began rolling out Meta AI in the EU, the first step toward making its chatbot available across Europe for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Lukasz Olejnik, an independent data protection consultant and researcher, told The Register, "I assume Meta intends to rely on legitimate interests as the legal basis, given the absence of consent, the use of an opt-out mechanism, and their previously stated intentions. This points to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. As recalled by the EDPB in its December 2024 opinion, this requires a lawful, specific, and real interest, demonstrable necessity, and a proper balancing test against data subjects' rights and freedoms. In other words, standard GDPR stuff." Olejnik said he believes the legitimate interest justification is fair for data shared directly with Meta's AI assistant, noting that GDPR is not hindering the use or development of AI. The tricky part is applying it to general platform content -- like posts or photos we posted 2 or 10 years ago - did we expect it to be used to train AI in 2025? "The tricky part is applying it to general platform content -- like posts or photos we posted 2 or 10 years ago - did we expect it to be used to train AI in 2025?" he said. "This raises purpose limitation issues, as users definitely did not expect such data to be used for AI training in, say, 2009. According to the CJEU [Court of Justice for the European Union], processing must be strictly necessary, users must be clearly informed of the interest pursued, and the context must support reasonable expectations. The in-app notification is Meta's attempt to meet this requirement and this is also fine. "Still, there remains a distinction, duality: training on AI-specific inputs is acceptable under this standard, but broader reuse may not be, or at least not in such a simplistic manner. And Meta intends to train on all user interactions across all its products." Olejnik said both the CJEU and EDPB emphasize that repurposing data in this way should be strictly necessary and subject to purpose limitation checks. "If I understand correctly, Meta claims to have consulted DPAs [Data Protection Authorities] and received further guidance, so I hope these matters are sufficiently proofed. If not, we may see future DPA actions or complaints filed. While I repeat that the GDPR does not hinder AI development, there is growing concern about whether it is being enforced adequately." Olejnik explained, "External observers are starting to wonder if GDPR enforcement around AI processing isn't a flaming shitshow. I mean -- I'm still waiting for any information or decision regarding my GDPR complaint against OpenAI, filed back in 2023." ®

Meta to resume AI training on content shared by Europeans

Meta announced today that it will soon start training its artificial intelligence models using content shared by European adult users on its Facebook and Instagram social media platforms. The content used for AI training includes posts and comments from adult users, as well as questions and queries made when interacting with the company's Meta AI assistant. However, the company says it won't use "people's private messages with friends and family" or the "public data" of Europeans under 18 to train its AI models. People in the EU who use the social media giant's platforms will start receiving in-app and email notifications this week explaining the kind of data Meta will begin using. These alerts will also include a link to an online form where they can object to their data being used this way. Meta says the objection form is easy to find and use and will honor all submitted forms. "This training will better support millions of people and businesses in Europe, by teaching our generative AI models to better understand and reflect their cultures, languages and history," it said in a Monday press release. "People based in the EU who use our platforms can choose to object to their public data being used for training purposes." Today's announcement comes after Meta delayed training its AI using public content shared on Facebook and Instagram at the request of the Irish Data Protection Commission in June 2024. The 2024 delay was the result of NOYB, an Austrian nonprofit organization working to enforce data protection laws, filing complaints in 11 European countries, including Ireland, where the DPC initially approved the introduction of Meta AI in the EU/EEA but reversed its decision following pushback from other EU data protection authorities. However, on Monday, Meta said the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), the EU's data protection regulator, approved this new rollout because the approach meets the European Union's stringent data privacy laws. "We welcome the opinion provided by the EDPB in December, which affirmed that our original approach met our legal obligations," it said. "Since then, we have engaged constructively with the IDPC and look forward to continuing to bring the full benefits of generative AI to people in Europe." Last month, the social media giant also started rolling out its Meta AI assistant in WhatsApp across Europe. Meta says that personal chats will not be used to train Meta AI, but conversations with Meta AI could be used to train future versions.

Meta to use public posts, AI interactions to train models in EU

April 14 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab said on Monday it would use interactions that users have with its AI, as well as public posts and comments shared by adults across its platforms, to train its artificial intelligence models in the European Union. The Facebook parent's move comes after Meta launched its AI technology in Europe last month, a roll-out that was initially announced in June 2024 but delayed following regulatory concerns on data protection and privacy. While Meta AI was launched in the U.S. in 2023, its roll-out in Europe faced several hurdles due to the EU's stringent privacy and transparency rules. Meta said on Monday people in the EU who use its platforms including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp will start receiving notifications explaining what kind of data the company will harness. Users will also receive a link to a form where they can object to their data being used for training purposes. While the company will use data such as user queries and questions on Meta AI, private messages as well as public data from accounts of users under the age of 18 will not be used in the training. The European Commission did not respond to a request for comment on Meta's move. Meta decided to pause the launch of its AI models in Europe last June after Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) told the company to delay its plan to harness data from social media posts. It also faced backlash from advocacy group NOYB, which urged national privacy watchdogs to stop such use of social media content. Elon Musk's X and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google are also being looked into by the Irish privacy regulator. X is facing an investigation over the use of EU users' personal data to train its AI system, Grok, while the DPC opened a probe into Google in September on whether the company adequately protected users' data before using it to help develop its AI model. Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Boards, Policy & Regulation

Meta Resumes E.U. AI Training Using Public User Data After Regulator Approval

Meta has announced that it will begin to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models using public data shared by adults across its platforms in the European Union, nearly a year after it paused its efforts due to data protection concerns from Irish regulators. "This training will better support millions of people and businesses in Europe, by teaching our generative AI models to better understand and reflect their cultures, languages, and history," the company said. To that end, users' posts and comments, as well as their interactions with Meta AI, are expected to be used for training and improving the models. It does not cover private messages sent between friends and family and data from accounts below the age of 18. Users in the region will start receiving notifications this week, both in the apps and via email, that detail the kinds of data the company will be using for this purpose and why it matters in the context of improving AI and the overall user experience. The notifications will also include an opt-out link to a form where users can choose to object to their public data being collected for AI training. Meta said it will honor all objection forms it has already received, along with newly submitted ones. The development comes shortly after the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) approved the rollout owing to it meeting legal obligations under the bloc's stringent data protection laws. Last month, the social media giant launched Meta AI in the European Union across its digital real estate: Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. The company has also pointed out that it's "following the example set by others including Google and OpenAI," adding both companies used data from European users to train and fine-tune their respective models. News of Meta's AI training plans coincides with a report from Apple about how it uses techniques like differential privacy and synthetic data generation to improve several features like Genmoji and Image Playground, Image Wand, Memories Creation, and Writing Tools in Apple Intelligence without sacrificing user privacy when they choose to send Device Analytics information to the company.

Meta says it will resume AI training with public content from European users

LONDON (AP) -- Social media company Meta said Monday that it will start using publicly available content from European users to train its artificial intelligence models, resuming work put on hold last year after activists raised concerns about data privacy. The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said that it would train its AI systems using public posts and comments shared by adult users in the 27-nation European Union. "People's interactions with Meta AI -- like questions and queries -- will also be used to train and improve our models," the company said in a blog post. Meta is making the move after launching its Meta AI assistant last month for European users, long after it rolled out to the United States and other major markets. The company's AI training efforts had been hampered by stringent European Union data privacy laws, which give people control over how their personal information is used. Vienna-based group NOYB, led by activist Max Schrems, had complained to various national privacy watchdogs about Meta's AI training plans and urged them to stop the company before it started training its next generation of AI models. Meta noted that a panel of EU privacy regulators in December "affirmed" that its original approach met legal obligations. The company said it won't use private messages to train its AI model and repeated its point that it is merely following the example of rivals Google and OpenAI, "both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models." Meta said it will start notifying users in the EU about the training, and will include a link to a form where they can object at any time.

Meta will start using data from EU users to train its AI models

Meta plans to start using data collected from its users in the European Union to train its AI systems, the company announced today. Starting this week, the tech giant will begin notifying Europeans through email and its family of apps of the fact, with the message set to include an explanation of the kind of data it plans to use as part of the training. Additionally, the notification will link out to a form users can complete to opt out of the process. "We have made this objection form easy to find, read, and use, and we'll honor all objection forms we have already received, as well as newly submitted ones," says Meta. The company notes it will only use data it collects from public posts and Meta AI interactions for training purposes. It won't use private messages in its training sets, nor any interactions, public or otherwise, made by users under the age of 18. As for why the company wants to start using EU data now, it claims the information will allow it to fine tune its future models to better serve Europeans. "We believe we have a responsibility to build AI that's not just available to Europeans, but is actually built for them. That's why it's so important for our generative AI models to be trained on a variety of data so they can understand the incredible and diverse nuances and complexities that make up European communities," Meta states. "That means everything from dialects and colloquialisms, to hyper-local knowledge and the distinct ways different countries use humor and sarcasm on our products. This is particularly important as AI models become more advanced with multi-modal functionality, which spans text, voice, video, and imagery." Meta notes other AI companies, including Google and OpenAI, have similarly used data from European users to fine tune their own systems. Today's announcement follows the initial release of Meta's new Llama 4 models. After some early hype, the company was accused of gaming LMArena, a website where humans compare the outputs of different AI models to rank them. Researchers noticed Meta had provided an experimental version of Llama 4 to the site "optimized for conversationality."

Meta to Restart AI Training on Europeans' Public Facebook and Instagram Posts

Meta will once again begin training on public posts from European users of Facebook and Instagram in a bid to sharpen its artificial intelligence (AI) tools, marking a restart of efforts that were previously paused amid privacy backlash. On Monday, Meta -- which operates both Facebook and Instagram - announced that it will begin training its AI models using content shared publicly by adults across the European Union's 27 member countries. "People's interactions with Meta AI -- like questions and queries -- will also be used to train and improve our models," the company explains in a blog post. This shift comes shortly after Meta introduced its Meta AI assistant to European users, a launch that lagged behind its earlier rollout in the United States and other global markets. The Associated Press reports that Meta's ambitions in AI had been stalled by the EU's rigorous data protection rules, which grant individuals tight control over how their personal information is collected and applied. The company's initial plans were met with resistance from NOYB, a Vienna-based privacy group headed by activist Max Schrems. The group has urged regulators across Europe to intervene before Meta can advance its next round of AI training. According to Meta, a collective of EU privacy regulators reviewed the company's proposed methods last December and "affirmed" that the original approach complied with legal standards. The company is keen to stress that private messages will not be used to feed its AI systems, and also highlights that its competitors have already walked a similar path. Meta refers to Google and OpenAI when it says "both have already used data from European users to train their AI models." To meet transparency requirements, Meta will soon begin alerting EU users about its AI training plans and offering a straightforward way to opt-out. "We'll honor all objection forms," the company adds. Meanwhile in the United States, CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand in a Washington, DC, courtroom to face a landmark antitrust trial that could force Meta to sell off Instagram and the messaging app WhatsApp. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says Meta, which already owned Facebook, bought Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 to eliminate competition before those platforms could grow into serious rivals -- establishing what it claims is an illegal monopoly in the social media landscape. Over the next two months, the U.S. government will try to prove that Meta used its dominance to squash potential threats instead of competing fairly.

Meta says it will resume AI training with public content from European users

Social media company Meta said Monday that it will start using publicly available content from European users to train its artificial intelligence models, resuming work put on hold last year after activists raised concerns about data privacy. The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said that it would train its AI systems using public posts and comments shared by adult users in the 27-nation European Union. "People's interactions with Meta AI -- like questions and queries -- will also be used to train and improve our models," the company said in a blog post. Meta is making the move after launching its Meta AI assistant last month for European users, long after it rolled out to the United States and other major markets. The company's AI training efforts had been hampered by stringent European Union data privacy laws, which give people control over how their personal information is used. Vienna-based group NOYB, led by activist Max Schrems, had complained to various national privacy watchdogs about Meta's AI training plans and urged them to stop the company before it started training its next generation of AI models. Meta noted that a panel of EU privacy regulators in December "affirmed" that its original approach met legal obligations. The company said it won't use private messages to train its AI model and repeated its point that it is merely following the example of rivals Google and OpenAI, "both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models." Meta said it will start notifying users in the EU about the training, and will include a link to a form where they can object at any time. "We'll honor all objection forms," the company said. © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Meta to train AI models on European users' public data

Paris (AFP) - Meta will train its artificial intelligence (AI) models with its European users' public content and conversations with the Meta AI chatbot, the firm said on Monday. The decision represents a major volte-face from the Facebook and Instagram owner, which has previously appeared wary of the European Union's stringent regulations on the use of personal data. People based in the EU who use Meta platforms can opt out of having their data used for generative AI training purposes, the social networking giant said. That means everything from Instagram photo captions to Facebook comments could soon be fair game for Meta AI, which the Mark Zuckerberg-owned company hopes will overtake market-leader ChatGPT. "This training will better support millions of people and businesses in Europe, by teaching our generative AI models to better understand and reflect their cultures, languages and history," the firm said in a statement. WhatsApp messenger will for the time being not be affected by the changes. The changes would not apply to the accounts of users under 18, nor to private messages of users to family and friends, the tech giant added on social media. Of the opt-out form, Meta said it had made it "easy to find, read, and use" and would honour all objections already or yet to be made. 'American technology leadership' Though AI has revolutionary potential, critics point to its inherent ethical pitfalls, ability to wreak destructive upheaval, and the energy-guzzling technology's potential contribution to climate change. When Meta AI first launched in the EU in late March, the tech giant was at pains to point out that the chatbot was not trained on data from European users. Its rollout on the continent was delayed by more than a year as a result of overlapping European regulations on emerging technologies, including user data, AI and digital markets. In Monday's announcement Meta insisted the move was not unique in Europe, arguing it was following the example set by Google and ChatGPT maker OpenAI. Meta AI was first unveiled for the United States in September 2023, then rolled out across all the group's applications in April 2024. Although image generation is available in the US, in the EU the generative AI tool will craft text-only responses to users' questions. Meta AI can also draw on web search for its answers. Developing "large language models" (LLMs) like Meta AI requires vast reserves of data, which is heavily regulated in the European Union where it relates to individual users. As for other Silicon Valley giants, AI is an overriding priority for Meta. The group plans to invest $60-65 billion this year, with much of the cash going into data centres, servers and network infrastructure necessary to develop AI models. At present Meta claims around 700 million monthly active users for its AI assistant -- still somewhat shy of the one billion Zuckerberg has said was needed to secure "a durable long-term advantage".

Meta to train its AI with public content from EU users

Although, users have the option to object to their data being used to train Meta's AI. Meta will start using public content, such as posts and comments on its platforms, to train its artificial intelligence. User interaction with Meta AI will also be used as training fodder, the social media behemoth said in a blog post yesterday (14 April). As the parent company to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Meta says it has a "responsibility to build AI that's not just available to Europeans, but is actually built for them". It said that the data it collects, will train generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) models to "understand the incredible and diverse nuances and complexities" of Europeans. Starting this week, the hundreds of millions of users on Meta's platforms will start receiving notifications informing them of the data that will be collected. Although, users will be given the opportunity to object - with an option to change their mind at a later date. Meta faced pushback from European privacy watchdogs over its chatbot Meta AI, delaying its launch in the region by more than a year. The features had been made available to US users back in 2023. Last year, the tech giant had to pause plans to train its large language models using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram, following intensive discussion with the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). However, last month, Meta was finally able to launch its AI chatbot in Europe. Although, the DPC, in a statement to SiliconRepublic.com said that they will keep Meta AI "under review as it rolls out to users". Private messages are safe from being used for training, the social media giant clarified. "Additionally, public data from the accounts of people in the EU under the age of 18 is not being used for training purposes," it said. Moreover, the company noted that a December opinion issued by the European Data Protection Board "affirmed" that its original approach, which received pushback, had met legal obligations. Meanwhile, Apple says it has found a way to improve its AI models without training it on user data. In a blog post yesterday, the iPhone-maker floated creating a synthetic data set "representative" of aggregate trends in real user data, without actually collecting any emails or texts from its devices. Apple said that it will be comparing the synthetic data set to a sample of recent emails and texts from users who have opted in to its Device Analytics program. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Meta got the green light to train AI on EU user data

Meta is resuming its artificial intelligence (AI) training efforts in the European Union (EU) after receiving regulatory approval, allowing the company to use public data shared by adult users across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. The move comes nearly a year after Meta paused similar efforts due to concerns raised by Ireland's data protection authority. According to Meta, the AI training will rely on content made public by adult users, including posts, comments, and interactions with Meta AI tools. Private messages and data from users under 18 will not be part of the training dataset. The company said the collected data will help its AI models better reflect European cultures, languages, and history. Starting this week, users in the EU will see in-app notifications and receive emails explaining what data Meta plans to use and why. The notifications will also provide an opt-out form, allowing users to object to having their public content used for AI model training. Meta has committed to respecting both new and existing objection requests. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) approved Meta's plan after confirming that it meets the EU's strict data protection rules. Meta's decision follows a wider trend in the AI industry, with companies like Google and OpenAI already using European user data to develop their AI models. The approval clears the way for Meta to continue expanding its AI capabilities across its platforms in the EU. Last month, Meta AI became available to users in the region, integrated into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger for tasks like answering questions, generating content, and improving user recommendations. Meta AI just landed on WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger in Europe While Meta's plan focuses on using real-world public data, Apple recently outlined a contrasting strategy. In a new report, Apple explained how it uses privacy-preserving methods like differential privacy and synthetic data generation to improve AI-powered features. This includes tools like Genmoji, Image Playground, Memories Creation, and Writing Tools in its upcoming Apple Intelligence suite -- all while limiting personal data exposure. Apple said users who opt to share Device Analytics data contribute to feature improvement, but with safeguards that prevent the company from directly accessing identifiable user information. Meta's AI training rollout in Europe will likely reignite debates over data privacy and user consent, especially as tech companies continue expanding generative AI features. For now, adult users in the EU have the option to opt out if they do not want their public content used for AI training.

Meta says it will resume AI training with public content from European users

LONDON (AP) -- Social media company Meta said Monday that it will start using publicly available content from European users to train its artificial intelligence models, resuming work put on hold last year after activists raised concerns about data privacy. The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said that it would train its AI systems using public posts and comments shared by adult users in the 27-nation European Union. "People's interactions with Meta AI -- like questions and queries -- will also be used to train and improve our models," the company said in a blog post. Meta is making the move after launching its Meta AI assistant last month for European users, long after it rolled out to the United States and other major markets. The company's AI training efforts had been hampered by stringent European Union data privacy laws, which give people control over how their personal information is used. Vienna-based group NOYB, led by activist Max Schrems, had complained to various national privacy watchdogs about Meta's AI training plans and urged them to stop the company before it started training its next generation of AI models. Meta noted that a panel of EU privacy regulators in December "affirmed" that its original approach met legal obligations. The company said it won't use private messages to train its AI model and repeated its point that it is merely following the example of rivals Google and OpenAI, "both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models." Meta said it will start notifying users in the EU about the training, and will include a link to a form where they can object at any time.

Meta says it will resume AI training with public content from European users

LONDON -- Social media company Meta said Monday that it will start using publicly available content from European users to train its artificial intelligence models, resuming work put on hold last year after activists raised concerns about data privacy. The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said that it would train its AI systems using public posts and comments shared by adult users in the 27-nation European Union. "People's interactions with Meta AI -- like questions and queries -- will also be used to train and improve our models," the company said in a blog post. Meta is making the move after launching its Meta AI assistant last month for European users, long after it rolled out to the United States and other major markets. The company's AI training efforts had been hampered by stringent European Union data privacy laws, which give people control over how their personal information is used. Vienna-based group NOYB, led by activist Max Schrems, had complained to various national privacy watchdogs about Meta's AI training plans and urged them to stop the company before it started training its next generation of AI models. Meta noted that a panel of EU privacy regulators in December "affirmed" that its original approach met legal obligations. The company said it won't use private messages to train its AI model and repeated its point that it is merely following the example of rivals Google and OpenAI, "both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models." Meta said it will start notifying users in the EU about the training, and will include a link to a form where they can object at any time.

Meta gets EU regulator nod to train AI with social media content

Meta says people's private messages with friends and family and public data from account holders under the age of 18 are still off-limits for AI training. Tech giant Meta has been given the green light from the European Union's data regulator to train its artificial intelligence models using publicly shared content across its social media platforms. Posts and comments from adult users across Meta's stable of platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, along with questions and queries to the company's AI assistant, will now be used to improve its AI models, Meta said in an April 14 blog post. The company said it's "important for our generative AI models to be trained on a variety of data so they can understand the incredible and diverse nuances and complexities that make up European communities." "That means everything from dialects and colloquialisms, to hyper-local knowledge and the distinct ways different countries use humor and sarcasm on our products," it added. However, people's private messages with friends, family and public data from EU account holders under the age of 18 are still off limits, according to Meta. People can also opt out of having their data used for AI training through a form that Meta says will be sent in-app, via email and "easy to find, read, and use." Last July, Meta delayed training its AI using public content across its platforms after privacy advocacy group None of Your Business filed complaints in 11 European countries, which saw the Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC) request a rollout pause until a review was conducted. The complaints claimed Meta's privacy policy changes would have allowed the company to use years of personal posts, private images, and online tracking data to train its AI products. Meta says it has now received permission from the EU's data protection regulator, the European Data Protection Commission, that its AI training approach meets legal obligations and continues to engage "constructively with the IDPC." "This is how we have been training our generative AI models for other regions since launch," Meta said. "We're following the example set by others, including Google and OpenAI, both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models." Related: EU could fine Elon Musk's X $1B over illicit content, disinformation An Irish data regulator opened a cross-border investigation into Google Ireland Limited last September to determine whether the tech giant followed EU data protection laws while developing its AI models. X faced similar scrutiny and agreed to stop using personal data from users in the EU and European Economic Area last September. Previously, X used this data to train its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok. The EU launched its AI Act in August 2024, establishing a legal framework for the technology that included data quality, security and privacy provisions.

Meta Says It Will Resume AI Training With Public Content From European Users

LONDON (AP) -- Social media company Meta said Monday that it will start using publicly available content from European users to train its artificial intelligence models, resuming work put on hold last year after activists raised concerns about data privacy. The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said that it would train its AI systems using public posts and comments shared by adult users in the 27-nation European Union. "People's interactions with Meta AI -- like questions and queries -- will also be used to train and improve our models," the company said in a blog post. Meta is making the move after launching its Meta AI assistant last month for European users, long after it rolled out to the United States and other major markets. The company's AI training efforts had been hampered by stringent European Union data privacy laws, which give people control over how their personal information is used. Vienna-based group NOYB, led by activist Max Schrems, had complained to various national privacy watchdogs about Meta's AI training plans and urged them to stop the company before it started training its next generation of AI models. Meta noted that a panel of EU privacy regulators in December "affirmed" that its original approach met legal obligations. The company said it won't use private messages to train its AI model and repeated its point that it is merely following the example of rivals Google and OpenAI, "both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models." Meta said it will start notifying users in the EU about the training, and will include a link to a form where they can object at any time. "We'll honor all objection forms," the company said. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Meta says will resume AI training with public content from European users

Meta will resume using public content from EU users to train its AI, after pausing due to privacy concerns. It excludes private messages and follows practices used by Google and OpenAI. Users will be notified and can opt out. Activists had previously challenged Meta's compliance with EU data laws. Social media company Meta said Monday that it will start using publicly available content from European users to train its artificial intelligence models, resuming work put on hold last year after activists raised concerns about data privacy. The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said that it would train its AI systems using public posts and comments shared by adult users in the 27-nation European Union. "People's interactions with Meta AI - like questions and queries - will also be used to train and improve our models," the company said in a blog post. Meta is making the move after launching its Meta AI assistant last month for European users, long after it rolled out to the United States and other major markets. The company's AI training efforts had been hampered by stringent European Union data privacy laws, which give people control over how their personal information is used. Vienna-based group NOYB, led by activist Max Schrems, had complained to various national privacy watchdogs about Meta's AI training plans and urged them to stop the company before it started training its next generation of AI models. Meta noted that a panel of EU privacy regulators in December "affirmed" that its original approach met legal obligations. The company said it won't use private messages to train its AI model and repeated its point that it is merely following the example of rivals Google and OpenAI, "both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models." Meta said it will start notifying users in the EU about the training, and will include a link to a form where they can object at any time. "We'll honour all objection forms," the company said.

Meta to use public posts, AI interactions to train models in EU

Meta said on Monday people in the EU who use its platforms including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp will start receiving notifications explaining what kind of data the company will harness. Users will also receive a link to a form where they can object to their data being used for training purposes.Meta Platforms said on Monday it would use interactions that users have with its AI, as well as public posts and comments shared by adults across its platforms, to train its artificial intelligence models in the European Union. The Facebook parent's move comes after Meta launched its AI technology in Europe last month, a roll-out that was initially announced in June 2024 but delayed following regulatory concerns on data protection and privacy. While Meta AI was launched in the U.S. in 2023, its roll-out in Europe faced several hurdles due to the EU's stringent privacy and transparency rules. Meta said on Monday people in the EU who use its platforms including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp will start receiving notifications explaining what kind of data the company will harness. Users will also receive a link to a form where they can object to their data being used for training purposes. While the company will use data such as user queries and questions on Meta AI, private messages as well as public data from accounts of users under the age of 18 will not be used in the training. The European Commission did not respond to a request for comment on Meta's move. Meta decided to pause the launch of its AI models in Europe last June after Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) told the company to delay its plan to harness data from social media posts. It also faced backlash from advocacy group NOYB, which urged national privacy watchdogs to stop such use of social media content. Elon Musk's X and Alphabet's Google are also being looked into by the Irish privacy regulator. X is facing an investigation over the use of EU users' personal data to train its AI system, Grok, while the DPC opened a probe into Google in September on whether the company adequately protected users' data before using it to help develop its AI model.

Meta to Begin Training AI on User Data in EU | PYMNTS.com

Meta will begin using content shared by adults in the European Union to train its artificial intelligence models after the European Data Protection Board said the company's approach met its legal requirements. The company plans to train its AI using public content -- including public posts and comments shared by adults on its products in the EU -- and people's questions, queries and other interactions with Meta AI, Meta said in a Monday (April 14) blog post. Meta will not use public data from account holders in the EU who are under the age of 18, people's private messages with family and friends, or data from users who submit an objection form provided by the company, according to the post. The company launched Meta AI in the EU in March and plans to make its chat function available for free across the region within its messaging apps: Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, per the post. "We believe we have a responsibility to build AI that's not just available to Europeans, but is actually built for them," the post said. By training its generative AI models on data from EU users, it will be better able to understand European dialects, colloquialisms, hyper-local knowledge and other aspects so it can serve the region's users, according to the post. "It's important to note that the kind of AI training we're doing is not unique to Meta, nor will it be unique to Europe," the post said. "This is how we have been training our generative AI models for other regions since launch. We're following the example set by others including Google and OpenAI, both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models." It was reported in July that Meta decided to withhold what was at the time its latest multimodal AI model from the EU, citing an "unpredictable" regulatory environment in the region. The company's retreat stemmed from uncertainties surrounding compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), particularly AI model training using user data from its products.

Meta To Train AI on Public EU Posts, Promises Opt-Out for Users

Meta emphasized that training on public content is essential for teaching its AI systems. | Credit: Matt Cardy / Getty Images. Meta has announced that it will begin using public posts, comments, and other interactions on its platforms to train its artificial intelligence models within the European Union. This development follows similar moves by other major AI players, including OpenAI and Google, who have begun using user data in the EU to improve their AI systems. Meta's AI Training Strategy On Monday, April 14, Meta stated it would use publicly shared content from adult users to train its AI tools. Facebook and Instagram's parent company said the initiative aims to better support millions of people and businesses across the EU. In a blog post , Meta emphasized that training on public content is essential for teaching its AI systems to "better understand and reflect [users'] cultures, languages, and history." Meta has ensured that users would have the ability to opt out before the data collection begins. According to the tech giant, EU users will receive notifications explaining the new policy and a link to a form where they can object to the use of their data. "We've made the objection form easy to locate, read, and complete, and we'll honor all previously submitted forms as well as new ones," the company stated. Only data from users aged 18 and older will be used. Private messages are explicitly excluded from the training process. Regulatory Hurdles Meta AI was first introduced in the U.S. in 2023, but its rollout in Europe has slowed due to stringent EU privacy laws. Last year, Meta postponed its AI training plans after the Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC) requested a pause on using social media content for training purposes. The privacy advocacy group None of Your Business (NOYB) subsequently filed more than ten complaints against Meta, arguing that the approach violated the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). NOYB founder Max Schrems told Forbes : "Meta is basically saying it can use any data from any source for any purpose and make it available to anyone, as long as it's through 'AI technology.' This is clearly not compliant with the GDPR." Schrems also highlighted the vagueness of Meta's terminology: "'AI technology' is extremely broad -- like saying 'using your data in databases' -- and carries no clear legal boundaries." He added that Meta failed to clearly explain how the data will be used, raising concerns about its potential applications -- from targeted advertising to more controversial uses. AI Nuance Meta maintains that training its AI on public EU data is necessary to ensure the models are helpful and relevant to European users. "We believe we have a responsibility to build AI that isn't just available to Europeans, but is actually built for them," the company stated. The company said that training on diverse and localized data will help Meta's AI better understand regional dialects, cultural nuances and humor. "This is particularly important as AI models become more advanced with multi-modal functionality, which spans text, voice, video, and imagery," it added. Meta did not respond to CCN's request for comment at the time of reporting.

Meta AI Trains on Public EU Posts - GDPR Concerns Rise

Social media technology giant Meta announced on April 14 that it is starting the use of publicly available data belonging to users in the European Union (EU) to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models, as per an Associated Press report. The company stated that it would train its AI model by using public posts and comments shared by adult users in the 27-nation geopolitical bloc. This development is significant. It marks the resumption of work halted last year after activists raised concerns about data privacy. "This training, which follows the successful launch of Meta AI in Europe last month, will better support millions of people and businesses in the EU by teaching AI at Meta to better understand and reflect their cultures, languages, and history," said Meta in a related blog post. Starting this week, Meta users in the EU will begin receiving notifications -- in-app and via email -- explaining the kind of data Meta will use, how this will improve the tech giant's AI services, and how it will enhance the overall user experience. These notifications will also include a link to a form where users can object to their data being processed. Notably, Meta states in its blog post that it will not use private messages between people and their family or friends to train its generative AI models. In addition, Meta won't use public data from the accounts of people in the EU who are below 18 years of age for training purposes. Another interesting point is that Mark Zuckerberg's tech giant claims its approach to training AI models aligns with the opinion of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). As such, Meta looks forward to "continuing to bring the full benefits of generative AI to people in Europe." Meta's latest move to train its AI models takes on added significance in light of Ireland's data protection watchdog initiating an investigation into Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) for allegedly processing the personal data of EU users to train its Grok AI model. The Irish regulator will examine X's compliance with various key provisions of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including lawfulness and transparency. Notably, Meta is also embroiled in an antitrust legal battle in the United States (US) against the country's Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC claims that Meta holds a monopoly in the "personal social networking" market and seeks to break up the $1.4 trillion tech company. With its plate already full of legal troubles in the US, Meta must carefully navigate the ethical minefield of the EU's data privacy regulations while using EU citizens' publicly available data.

Meta says it will resume AI training with public content from European users | BreakingNews.ie

Social media company Meta has said it will start using publicly available content from European users to train its artificial intelligence models, resuming work put on hold last year after activists raised concerns about data privacy. The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said it would train its AI systems using public posts and comments shared by adult users in the 27-nation European Union. "People's interactions with Meta AI -- like questions and queries -- will also be used to train and improve our models," the company said in a blog post. Meta is making the move after launching its Meta AI assistant last month for European users, long after it rolled out to the US and other major markets. The company's AI training efforts had been hampered by stringent EU data privacy laws, which give people control over how their personal information is used. Vienna-based group NOYB, led by activist Max Schrems, had complained to various national privacy watchdogs about Meta's AI training plans and urged them to stop the company before it started training its next generation of AI models. Meta noted that a panel of EU privacy regulators in December "affirmed" that its original approach met legal obligations. The company said it will not use private messages to train its AI model and repeated its point that it is following the example of rivals Google and OpenAI, "both of which have already used data from European users to train their AI models". Meta said it will start notifying users in the EU about the training, and will include a link to a form where they can object at any time. "We'll honour all objection forms," the company said.

Meta to use public posts, AI interactions to train models in EU

(Reuters) - Meta Platforms said on Monday it would use interactions that users have with its AI, as well as public posts and comments shared by adults across its platforms, to train its artificial intelligence models in the European Union. The Facebook parent's move comes after Meta launched its AI technology in Europe last month, a roll-out that was initially announced in June 2024 but delayed following regulatory concerns on data protection and privacy. While Meta AI was launched in the U.S. in 2023, its roll-out in Europe faced several hurdles due to the EU's stringent privacy and transparency rules. Meta said on Monday people in the EU who use its platforms including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp will start receiving notifications explaining what kind of data the company will harness. Users will also receive a link to a form where they can object to their data being used for training purposes. While the company will use data such as user queries and questions on Meta AI, private messages as well as public data from accounts of users under the age of 18 will not be used in the training. The European Commission did not respond to a request for comment on Meta's move. Meta decided to pause the launch of its AI models in Europe last June after Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) told the company to delay its plan to harness data from social media posts. It also faced backlash from advocacy group NOYB, which urged national privacy watchdogs to stop such use of social media content. Elon Musk's X and Alphabet's Google are also being looked into by the Irish privacy regulator. X is facing an investigation over the use of EU users' personal data to train its AI system, Grok, while the DPC opened a probe into Google in September on whether the company adequately protected users' data before using it to help develop its AI model. (Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)