The DPC, the Irish data protection authority, has announced that Meta has decided to suspend its plans to train its artificial intelligence models with the content that its European users upload to Facebook and Instagram. The decision was made following discussions between the DPC and Meta, where concerns were raised about the lack of explicit consent from users and potential use of images without consent.
The decision faced significant opposition from citizens, civil society, and legal groups such as Noyb, who expressed their need for a firm resolution on this matter. Activists like Max Schrems also weighed in on the issue. However, Meta expressed its disappointment with DPC’s decision, arguing that it hinders innovation and competitiveness in the development of AI in Europe.
Despite the suspension of AI training with user content, discussions on data privacy and innovation in AI continue. The interaction between social media platforms, data protection authorities, and user rights will likely shape the future of AI development and data protection policies.
