It has been announced by Meta that the release of Meta AI Artificial Intelligence models in Europe will be postponed for now, following a request from the privacy regulatory authority in Ireland to delay its plans to use data from Facebook and Instagram users.
After receiving complaints and a request from the advocacy group NOYB, the company decided to take this step and collaborate with data protection authorities in several countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Spain.
The issue revolves around Meta’s plan to use personal data to train artificial intelligence models without obtaining prior consent, despite its assurance of using publicly available and licensed information online.
Meta informed that the Irish Data Protection Commission requested the postponement of training large language models using publicly available content posted by adult Facebook and Instagram users.
The company expressed disappointment over the rejection of its request by the Irish Data Protection Committee, the company’s main regulatory body, on behalf of data protection authorities in Europe. The company has provided regulatory comments and informed European data protection authorities since March.
Meta clarified that the request made by Ireland is considered a setback in terms of innovation and European competitiveness in the development of artificial intelligence technology.
Meta emphasized the importance of including local information to enhance user experience, stating that the absence of such information can negatively impact the quality of services provided. It confirmed that Meta AI cannot be launched in Europe at present due to this reason.
The Irish Data Protection Committee positively received Meta’s decision to halt some of its services, affirming that this decision came after significant interaction and cooperation with the regulatory authority.
Meta confirmed that delaying the launch of intelligent models also allows them the opportunity to address requests received from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office welcomed Meta’s decision and affirmed its continued monitoring of key developers of Generative Artificial Intelligence. This is aimed at reviewing the assurances put in place by the company and ensuring the protection of information rights for UK users.
Max Schrems, CEO of NOYB, pointed out that the temporary work stoppage is due to complaints lodged by the group last week.
Schrems stated in his release that there has been no official change in Meta’s privacy policy yet, meaning that compliance with it remains legally binding. He indicated that the raised issues are still ongoing and require a final decision.
