‘No Consent’ Posts Do Not Prohibit Meta From Using Content To Train AI Models

Sharing the viral post does not prohibit Meta and its platforms from using public posts to train AI models.

The viral post will not disallow Meta from using posts to train its AI models.

(Source: Facebook/Altered by The Quint)

Amid the rising use and implementation of 'Meta AI', Meta's Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant on its platforms, social media users are sharing chain posts, forbidding the company from using their posts, media, or work to train their AI models.

An archive of this post can be seen here.

(Source: Instagram/Screenshot)

(Archives of more posts sharing this text can be seen here, here, and here.)

But...?: Sharing this message as a post on your profile will not prohibit Meta and its platforms from using public posts to train its AI models.

How did we find out?: We looked for information relevant to the viral claim on Facebook's Help Centre, using the terms 'artificial intelligence and privacy' as a keyword.

• This led us to a page related to generative AI and privacy, titled "How Meta uses information for generative AI models and features."

• Under a section regarding the source of information for training models, the platform said that it uses publicly available information, including information shared on Meta's products or services.

• "This information could be things such as posts or photos and their captions," the page said, clarifying that it did not include "private messages with friends and family."

Meta said that it does not use private messages.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

• Elaborating on users' privacy on the same page, it mentioned that in some regions, Meta relies on "adequate legal basis to collect and process data."

• It added that users have "rights related to how [your] information is used for AI at Meta," providing a link to a support page for 'Data Subject Rights.'

The option to access or alter data is not a global feature.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

• It showed us a review form which allowed users to submit requests to access, download, correct, or delete personal information, or express "concern" about personal information.

• However, there was no option to completely opt out of, or give consent for data usage for AI model training.

There is no option to completely prohibit data use.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

When we looked for reports related to this, we came across one by Mashable, which corroborated our findings.

• The report clearly mentioned that the only sure-shot way to "truly cut off your data from Meta is to delete your accounts."

• It also added that while there was no way to completely withdraw consent, there were various way to limit what information Meta could use.

• These methods included the content review form we explored earlier in this report, along with another method of limiting activity on Meta's platforms.

Mashable's report addressed the growing concern.

(Source: Mashable/Screenshot)

• When a fact-checking organisation named 'VERIFY' reached out to Meta, a spokesperson said that the company has "shared details about the kinds of information we use to build and improve AI experiences – which includes public posts from Instagram and Facebook – consistent with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service."

Conclusion: Posting about not allowing Meta to use your posts and content to train its AI models does not effectively prohibit the company from doing so.

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