Meta has received the green light from the European Union’s data watchdog to use publicly shared content on its platforms to train artificial intelligence models, the tech company announced on April 14.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) gave Meta the go-ahead to utilize posts, comments, and user interactions from adult users on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger for AI development. Additionally, queries and prompts submitted to Meta’s AI assistant will now feed into its model training.
Meta emphasized the importance of diverse datasets to reflect Europe’s rich linguistic and cultural nuances. “It’s essential for our generative AI to understand dialects, colloquialisms, and regional humor,” the company stated in its blog.
However, private messages and content from users under 18 remain excluded. Meta also pledged to allow adult users to opt out through accessible in-app and email options.
The move comes after a pause in July 2024, when Meta delayed its AI training in Europe following legal complaints from the privacy rights group None of Your Business. The Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC), Meta’s lead regulator in the EU, halted rollout plans pending a thorough review.
Concerns had been raised that Meta’s data practices might have involved personal photos, historical posts, and tracking data. Now, with regulatory approval, Meta insists its current practices meet legal standards and adds that it remains in “constructive” dialogue with the IDPC.
Meta also pointed out that its approach mirrors those of Google and OpenAI, both of which have used European data for AI training. However, scrutiny remains high. In September 2024, Irish regulators launched a cross-border probe into Google’s AI data use. Meanwhile, social media platform X stopped using EU user data for AI purposes after regulatory pressure.
The approval comes amid the EU’s broader effort to regulate AI through its new AI Act, introduced in August 2024. The legislation outlines strict requirements around data privacy, transparency, and ethical AI development, positioning the EU at the forefront of global AI governance.
