Meta suspends using users' data to train artificial intelligence

The Irish DPA (Data Protection Commission), has held discussions with META representatives, resulting in the company suspending the use of personal data to train its AI-based language models. META will not use content shared publicly by adult users of the company's social media sites within the European Union and European Economic Area for this purpose.

According to the new META's privacy policy, until 26 June this year, Facebook users could fill in a special form and express their objection to such use of their personal data. However, there were some restrictions on this inclusion, such as the need to provide justification.

Complaints about the new privacy policy via the organisation NOYB (None Of Your Business), also known as the European Centre for Digital Rights, have been lodged to 11 data protection authorities, including the President of the Personal Data Protection Office.

The Irish DPA will continue to hold discussions with META on this issue. It will also keep the other DPAs informed of the outcome of these discussions.

"The application of the provisions of the GDPR should be the same all over the European Union, therefore also the actions of the DPA in this matter must be harmonised with those of other authorities, including the Irish supervisory authority, which is leading on this matter due to the location of META's representative office," - says Mirosław Wróblewski, President of the Polish DPA.

The President of the Personal Data Protection Office points out that the processing of personal data using artificial intelligence mechanisms must comply with data protection laws and supervisory authorities will jointly take action and support each other in situations where there is a risk to breaches of data subjects' privacy.