Meta's AI Training Faces European Privacy Scrutiny

Meta Platforms plans to use European users' interactions and public posts to train AI models. This move follows delay due to regulatory concerns in Europe. Users will be notified about data usage, with an option to object. Other tech giants like Google and Elon Musk's X are also under scrutiny.

Meta Platforms announced on Monday that it will utilize user interactions, public posts, and comments from adults on its platforms to train AI models within the European Union.

The initiative follows Meta's earlier launch of AI technology in the U.S. in 2023, and its eventual European roll-out, delayed from an initial June 2024 schedule due to stringent EU privacy and transparency regulations.

In compliance with these rules, Meta will notify EU users on Facebook and Instagram about data usage while offering a link for data-use objections. However, interactions and posts by users under 18 will remain excluded from AI training. This decision aligns with recent scrutiny by the European Commission and ongoing investigations of other tech companies over similar data practices.

(With inputs from agencies.)