Meta Platforms received 11 complaints on Thursday over proposed changes that could violate European Union privacy rules by using personal data to train artificial intelligence models without seeking consent.
Advocacy group NOYB (Not Your Business) has called on the country's privacy watchdog to immediately halt Meta's recent changes to its privacy policy, which take effect on June 26, allowing years of individuals' posts, private images, and online tracking data to be made available to the company's AI technology.
NOYB has already filed multiple complaints against Meta and other major tech companies for alleged violations of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which could result in fines of up to 4% of a company's global turnover.
Meta asserts a legitimate interest in using users' data to train and develop its generative AI models and other AI tools, and to share it with third parties.
NOYB founder Max Schrems said in a statement that Europe's highest court had already ruled on the issue in 2021.
“The European Court of Justice (CJEU) has already stated that Meta has no 'legitimate interest' to override users' data protection rights when it comes to advertising,” he said.
“But now the company is trying to use the same argument for training undefined 'AI technologies.' Meta once again appears to be blatantly ignoring the European Court of Justice's ruling,” Schrems said, adding that opting out is extremely complicated.
“Shifting the responsibility to users is completely absurd. Meta is required by law to get opt-in consent, not to provide a hidden and misleading opt-out form,” Schrems said, adding: “If Meta wants to use users' data, it has to ask for permission. Instead, Meta made users beg to opt out.”
NOYB has asked data protection authorities in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Spain to launch emergency procedures because of the impending changes.
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First Edition: June 6, 2024 | 11:12 AM IST
