Meta had paused its AI plans in June for the UK and EU. On Friday 13 September, Meta announced that it 'will begin training for AI at Meta using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram in the UK over the coming months.'
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has stated that while it has not given regulatory approval for Meta's plan, it will monitor the process now that Meta has made changes to its plan.
To make the new plans clearer to users, Meta will send in-app notifications to explain its plan and how you can access an objection form to object to your data being used to train its generative AI models. It will also give you a longer time frame to opt out.
If you've already objected, you don't have to opt out again as Meta will honour your choice.
These plans are still on pause for users in the EU.
What is Meta’s AI policy change?
Meta is planning on rolling out 'new generative AI features' for customers in the UK.
It says that this is so it can launch its AI products sooner and ensure they reflect British culture, history and idiom.
As part of an update to its privacy policy, it said it would use customer information to ‘provide and curate artificial intelligence technology’ in its products.
This information would include anything you post (including photos and captions) and what others post about you. It doesn't include private messages you send on Facebook or Instagram.
How to find Meta's objection form
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to object to your data being used.
To do this on Facebook, you'll need to navigate to the Facebook privacy policy. Follow these steps if you're using the desktop version:Log into your Facebook accountSelect ‘settings and privacy’Select ‘privacy centre’Scroll down and select: ‘What is the privacy policy and what does it cover?’At the top of the page, there should be a message about the update to Meta's privacy policy and a link labelled ‘AI at Meta.'Following this link takes you to a page where you'll be told how Meta will be using information for its AI models and it'll include a link to the 'right to object' form at the top.If you're using the Facebook app on Android, select 'help and support', then 'terms and policies'. Select 'privacy policy' and follow steps 5 and 6 above. If you're using the Facebook app on Apple, choose 'settings and privacy', then 'settings'. Scroll down to 'privacy policy' and follow steps 5 and 6 above. Even if you opt out, your information may still be used to train Meta’s AI models, via data scraped from other users who have shared your info.For example, this could be an image of you shared by someone else, or you being mentioned in someone else's posts. On Instagram, you can opt out by navigating to the and following steps 5 and 6 above.Should you be worried about AI scams?
AI technology is developing all the time, and it's important to be on your guard against the dangers of fraudsters utilising new features to create convincing scams.
We've also seen scammers use AI to create deepfakes (convincing fake videos and images) and clone voices in scam calls.
Here are some ways you can spot scams created by AI:
This article was originally published on 4 June 2024. It was updated on 24 June 2024 when Meta's plans were placed on hold, and again 16 September 2024 after Meta announced the plans to continue with AI training.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/facebook-and-instagram-plans-to-use-uk-posts-to-train-ai-models-av4gw4R8FjpE