Meta Platforms received 11 complaints on June 5 regarding proposed changes to its use of personal data for training artificial intelligence (AI) models without consent, potentially violating EU privacy regulations. The privacy advocacy group None of Your Business (NYOB) urged national privacy watchdogs in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Spain to intervene.
The complaints alleged that Meta’s new privacy policy, effective June 26, would allow the company to utilize personal posts, private images, and online tracking data for AI technology. NYOB requested data protection authorities in the 11 countries to conduct an urgent review.
According to NYOB, Meta’s updated privacy policy justifies using user data to train generative AI models and other AI tools, shared with third parties under the guise of legitimate interest. European users are unable to delete their data once it is in the system.
NOYB has previously filed complaints against Meta and other Big Tech firms for GDPR violations, risking fines of up to 4% of global turnover. Founder Max Schrems highlighted a 2021 European Court of Justice ruling that should guide Meta’s handling of personal data, arguing for explicit user consent rather than misleading opt-out options.
Schrems stressed Meta should directly seek permission to use user data instead of requiring users to opt-out, as seen in a similar case with Google in July 2023. The lawsuit accused Google of misusing data, including copyrighted material, in AI training.