Meta to Resume Using Public EU User Data for AI Model Training

After a year-long pause, Meta has announced that it will resume using public user data from the European Union (EU) to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models. The social media giant had initially suspended its plans due to concerns raised by Irish regulators over data protection issues.

In June 2024, Meta had delayed the training of its large language models (LLMs) using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram, following a request from the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). The company had expressed disappointment with the decision, stating that it was a "step backwards for European innovation, competition in AI development, and further delays bringing the benefits of AI to people in Europe."

However, Meta has now confirmed that it will proceed with training its AI models on public data from EU individuals. The company believes that this is necessary to provide a better service to its European communities, as its AI already has limited capabilities compared to other regions.

The Importance of Training AI Models in the EU

"In the EU, we will soon begin training our AI models on the interactions that people have with AI at Meta, as well as public content shared by adults on Meta Products," reads a recent post published by the company. "This training will better support millions of people and businesses in Europe, by teaching our generative AI models to better understand and reflect their cultures, languages, and history."

Meta emphasizes that users based in the EU can choose to object to their public data being used for training purposes. Starting this week, EU users will receive notices about their data being used to improve AI, with an option to easily object at any time.

A Transparency Approach

"We believe we have a responsibility to build AI that’s not just available to Europeans, but is actually built for them," concludes the post. "That’s why it’s so important for our generative AI models to be trained on a variety of data so they can understand the incredible and diverse nuances and complexities that make up European communities."

Meta also highlights that its approach to training AI models is not unique to Europe, as other companies such as Google and OpenAI have already used data from European users for similar purposes. The company takes pride in its transparent approach, stating that it is more open than many of its industry counterparts.

Key Details

  • Meta will use public EU user data to train AI models.
  • The company has resumed plans paused last year due to Irish data protection concerns.
  • EU users can choose to object to their public data being used for training purposes.
  • Public data from accounts of people under the age of 18 will not be used for training purposes.
  • The training process will better support millions of people and businesses in Europe, by teaching AI models to understand European cultures, languages, and history.

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