04.06.2025 16:13:00
Дата публикации
Since May 2025, Meta has been using public posts from Instagram and Facebook users in the European Union to train its artificial intelligence models.
The new initiative was launched after the Higher Regional Court of Cologne rejected a lawsuit by the consumer group VZ NRW, which tried to prohibit the collection of public data for the formation of training material. The court found that the information was collected on the basis of a “legitimate interest” provided for by the GDPR.
The court's decision emphasized that Meta must comply with the conditions set by the European Data Protection Board: mandatory masking of personal data, the possibility of an opt-out, and the exclusion of certain categories of data from processing.
By complying with these conditions, Meta assures that the data is used exclusively from publicly available content, and users will be informed in advance about the purposes of training the AI. This approach, according to the company, allows for high-quality neural networks without compromising privacy.
Meta claims that using data to train AI will help better support millions of people and businesses in Europe, making technology accessible to everyone. The company is confident that its data protection measures comply with EU law.
However, this practice has drawn sharp criticism: representatives of consumer protection groups continue to point out the risk of violating the principle of explicit consent, since users are only given the opportunity to refuse to participate, but not to consent to the processing.
The German court noted that the data is collected from accounts where the information is already publicly available, and granted Meta the opportunity to continue its AI training projects, subject to information and the ability to opt-out.
In response to Meta's plans, the Austrian human rights organization noyb sent an official "cease and desist" letter, accusing the company of misusing its "legitimate interest" to circumvent the opt-in requirement.
noyb, led by Max Schroems, says this approach leaves users without real control over their personal data and could lead to serious legal consequences, including class action lawsuits.
According to noyb, Meta is illegally “sucking in” all the data by relying on the opt-out option, which is contrary to the spirit of the GDPR, which requires transparent and informed consent for the processing of personal information.
Despite protests and threats of lawsuits, Meta claims that it has taken all necessary measures to minimize the risks, and the changes to its data processing policy allow the company to operate within the law.
Thus, the use of public data for training AI is becoming the subject of a heated legal debate, where the desire for innovation and the protection of user rights compete, and the outcome of the case could set the tone for future practice in the EU.
(the text is translated automatically)
The new initiative was launched after the Higher Regional Court of Cologne rejected a lawsuit by the consumer group VZ NRW, which tried to prohibit the collection of public data for the formation of training material. The court found that the information was collected on the basis of a “legitimate interest” provided for by the GDPR.
The court's decision emphasized that Meta must comply with the conditions set by the European Data Protection Board: mandatory masking of personal data, the possibility of an opt-out, and the exclusion of certain categories of data from processing.
By complying with these conditions, Meta assures that the data is used exclusively from publicly available content, and users will be informed in advance about the purposes of training the AI. This approach, according to the company, allows for high-quality neural networks without compromising privacy.
Meta claims that using data to train AI will help better support millions of people and businesses in Europe, making technology accessible to everyone. The company is confident that its data protection measures comply with EU law.
However, this practice has drawn sharp criticism: representatives of consumer protection groups continue to point out the risk of violating the principle of explicit consent, since users are only given the opportunity to refuse to participate, but not to consent to the processing.
The German court noted that the data is collected from accounts where the information is already publicly available, and granted Meta the opportunity to continue its AI training projects, subject to information and the ability to opt-out.
In response to Meta's plans, the Austrian human rights organization noyb sent an official "cease and desist" letter, accusing the company of misusing its "legitimate interest" to circumvent the opt-in requirement.
noyb, led by Max Schroems, says this approach leaves users without real control over their personal data and could lead to serious legal consequences, including class action lawsuits.
According to noyb, Meta is illegally “sucking in” all the data by relying on the opt-out option, which is contrary to the spirit of the GDPR, which requires transparent and informed consent for the processing of personal information.
Despite protests and threats of lawsuits, Meta claims that it has taken all necessary measures to minimize the risks, and the changes to its data processing policy allow the company to operate within the law.
Thus, the use of public data for training AI is becoming the subject of a heated legal debate, where the desire for innovation and the protection of user rights compete, and the outcome of the case could set the tone for future practice in the EU.
(the text is translated automatically)
