Meta AI: In today’s digital era, data privacy has become the biggest issue, and META (Parent Company of Facebook and Instagram) is once again in the headlines. In the past, Meta has been accused of using our public photos and data to train your AI model (Meta AI). But now the new revelation has been more worrying.
What is happening?
Recently, some Facebook users showed a new pop-up notification that suggested to turn on a feature called “Cloud Processing”. At first glance, this feature seems quite normal and convenient. It said that this setting will scan the photo of your phone from the camera roll and upload them “regularly” on the cloud of Meta. In return, the company will offer you creative things like photo collage, event recap, custom filters and theme decorating through AI.
Where is the real danger?
The problem is that if you turned on this feature, then you are inadvertently allowing META to give access to your personal photos continuously. You may not have shared this photo on Facebook or Instagram, yet Meta AI will scan them, information will be removed up to face, things, date and location.
META says that this is an “Opt-in” feature, ie users themselves can decide whether to use it or not. But given the past of Facebook, many privacy experts and users are worried that using this feature, the privacy of the users is gradually being eliminated.
Use of data since 2007
META has already assumed that it has used all the public content posted on Facebook and Instagram since 2007 for its AI training. But the company does not clarify what is the definition of “public”, or which age people were used as “adults”. In addition, the new AI conditions of Meta, which have come into force from 23 June 2024, do not state whether the unhappy photographs processed in the cloud will be excluded from AI training. This increases doubt.
Meta cleaning and users’ option
When TECH website The Verge spoke to the officials of Meta AI about this, he said that “now” Meta is not using those photos in AI training. But it did not even say whether this will be done further or not. The good thing is that users can close this “Cloud Processing” feature by going to their Facebook settings. META says that if a user discontinues this facility, then within 30 days their unhappy photo will be removed from the cloud.
How to avoid
AI has now become an important part of our digital life but along with this our privacy is also in danger. Platforms like Meta are constantly drawing this boundary to how much data they can collect. With this new feature, access to users without giving complete information, their personal photos are being made. In such a situation, it is important that we be vigilant ourselves and keep checking the settings because now there is no way to share the photo, now they are becoming raw materials for AI.
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