Meta to Train AI Using Facebook, Instagram Public Posts in the UK

Meta will resume training its AI models with public content from Facebook and Instagram in the UK, following regulatory changes and allowing users to opt out of data use.

The company said that Meta Platforms will start training its AI models with public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram in the UK in the coming months. Regulators’ complaints had put the training on hold in the UK. The company said on Friday that it will train its generative AI models with public posts like photos, captions, and comments. The training will not include private messages or information from user accounts of those under the age of 18.

The update follows Meta’s decision in mid-June to delay the launch of its AI models in Europe. This was because the Irish privacy regulator told the company to put off its plans to use data from social media posts. The company said at the time that the delay would also give it time to deal with requests from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in Britain.

“Since we paused training our generative AI models in the UK to address regulatory feedback, we’ve engaged positively with the ICO; this clarity and certainty will help us bring AI at Meta products to the UK much sooner,” Meta said Friday.

Starting next week, Facebook and Instagram users in the UK will receive in-app notifications from Meta that detail the company’s process and provide instructions on how to opt out of data used for training. The ICO said in a statement that Meta has changed its approach since it put the plans on hold in June. The company has made it easier for users to object to data processing, giving them more time to do so.

NOYB, an advocacy group, spoke out against Meta’s plans in June. They told national privacy watchdogs across Europe to stop using social media content in this way, saying that the notifications were not enough to meet the EU’s strict privacy and transparency rules.