TL;DR:
- Meta will use your data to train its AI models unless you explicitly opt out.
- Opting out, however, is a very convoluted process, which appears intentional in minimizing the number of users who don’t contribute to data scraping.
It seems you can’t turn around without hearing about something related to AI these days. Being the latest buzzword, every large tech company is racing to get its feet in the AI waters. The problem with generative AI, though, is that models need to train on data created by users. Meta is now scraping Facebook posts to train its AI model but is making it difficult for users to opt out of this process. If you want to opt out of Meta’s data harvesting, follow the steps below:
Opt-out Process:
Look for a notification from Meta about AI features. Tap/click the notification to reach the Policy Updates notice. Click the “right to object” link and fill out the form, including a description of why you don’t want your data used for AI. Submit the form and wait for an email with a one-time password. Copy the OTP from the email and paste it within an hour to complete the process. Meta will review your submission and confirm your opt-out status via email.
Conclusion:
Meta’s complex opt-out process for AI data scraping on Facebook shows intentional barriers to discourage users from opting out. Future legal safeguards may change these procedures, but for now, users must navigate a convoluted process. If you want to protect your data from being used for AI, follow the steps outlined above.