Viral 'Goodbye' Post Hoax Spreads on Instagram and Facebook
2 Sources
2 Sources
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James McAvoy and Tom Brady fall for 'Goodbye Meta AI' hoax
More than 600,000 people, including many celebrities, have fallen for a hoax claiming to deny Facebook and Instagram owner Meta the right to use their images for training artificial intelligence (AI). Film stars James McAvoy and Ashley Tisdale, as well as former NFL player Tom Brady, are among those who re-shared the fake "Goodbye Meta AI" message on Instagram stories. The hoax claims that by sharing the message, Meta would no longer be able to use their information. In reality, Facebook and Instagram users who want to opt out of AI training can do so in their account settings - and posting about it does nothing. Many of these messages have now been labelled "false information" by Lead Stories, one of Meta's third-party fact-checking sites. The post appears to have been created in opposition to Meta's announcement in June that it will use public posts to train its AI model - but the company has confirmed to the BBC that posting the message has no impact on any user's privacy settings. "Sharing this story does not count as a valid form of objection," a Meta spokesperson said.
[2]
Film stars and sportspeople among those to share hoax 'Goodbye Meta AI' post | BreakingNews.ie
Celebrities and sports stars are among the around 600,000 people who have reposted a hoax image which claims to deny Meta the right to use their data to train artificial intelligence (AI) models. Actors Julianne Moore and Ashley Tisdale, as well as England cricketer Jonny Bairstow have reshared the post on Instagram Stories, entitled "Goodbye Meta AI". The message claims that by sharing the post on their profile, the Facebook and Instagram owner will no longer be able to use their data to train AI. However, this is not the case - sharing a post on an Instagram story does not count as a valid form of objection to Meta's data policies - and instead users can opt-out of AI training through their account settings. "Goodbye Meta AI. Please note an attorney has advised us to put this on, failure to do so may result in legal consequences," the message reads. "As Meta is now a public entity all members must post a similar statement. If you do not post at least once it will be assumed you are okay with them using your information and photos. "I do not give Meta or anyone else permission to use any of my personal data, profile information or photos." Many of the images from high-profile figures have already been partially hidden and labelled as false information by Instagram. The sudden rise in sharing of the post appears to be in response to Meta's announcement in the summer that it would use public posts to its social media platforms to help train the AI models it is developing. Earlier this month, Meta confirmed it would begin using data from public posts of users in the UK to train its AI, but confirmed it would honour the objection of any user who had already submitted one via their account settings, and confirmed it would continue to allow users to opt-in in this way. To object via Facebook, users can go to their settings, select Privacy Centre and then select the AI at Meta option and selecting the "information that you've shared on Meta products and services" option under the subheading "Submit an objection request". Similarly, Instagram users can access the Privacy Centre to submit an objection in the same way by going to Settings, then scrolling down and selecting Privacy Centre.
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A viral hoax post claiming Meta is changing its privacy policies has spread across Instagram and Facebook, prompting numerous celebrities and users to share it despite its false nature.
The Viral 'Goodbye' Post
A viral post has been making rounds on Instagram and Facebook, causing confusion and concern among users. The post, which begins with "Don't forget tomorrow starts the new Instagram rule," claims that Meta, the parent company of these platforms, is implementing new privacy policies that would allow them to use users' content without permission
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.Celebrity Involvement
The hoax has gained significant traction, with numerous high-profile individuals falling for and sharing the misleading information. Among those who shared the post were film stars like Julia Roberts, Tom Holland, and Zach Braff, as well as US politicians such as Rick Perry, the former Texas governor
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.Content of the Hoax
The viral post instructs users to share a specific message to prevent Meta from using their photos, information, messages, and posts. It falsely claims that users can protect their privacy by copying and pasting this message, stating that it would place their content under copyright rules
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.Meta's Response
Meta has officially debunked the hoax, confirming that there are no plans to change its privacy policies. A spokesperson for the company stated, "This is the same hoax we've seen before and there's no truth to it." They emphasized that sharing such a post has no effect on how people's information is used on Instagram or Facebook
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.History of Similar Hoaxes
This is not the first time such a hoax has circulated on social media platforms. Similar false claims about changes to privacy policies have been spreading periodically since at least 2012. Despite being debunked multiple times, these hoaxes continue to resurface and gain traction
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Impact on Users
The widespread sharing of this hoax demonstrates the potential for misinformation to spread rapidly on social media platforms. It highlights the importance of critical thinking and fact-checking before sharing information online, even when it comes from seemingly credible sources like celebrities or public figures
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.Protecting Your Privacy
While this particular post is a hoax, it's important for users to be aware of their privacy settings on social media platforms. Meta encourages users to review and adjust their privacy settings regularly to ensure they are comfortable with how their information is shared and used on the platforms
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