Meta Platforms has announced that it will resume training its artificial intelligence models using public content from Facebook and Instagram in the UK, following a regulatory pause imposed earlier this year. The decision comes after the company addressed feedback from UK privacy regulators and made adjustments to its data use procedures.
The company will utilize publicly available posts, including photos, captions, and comments, to train its generative AI models. Importantly, Meta stated that private messages and data from accounts belonging to users under 18 will not be included in this training process.
This move follows a mid-June decision to halt AI model training in Europe after the Irish privacy regulator, which oversees Meta's operations in the EU, instructed the company to delay its plans. The pause was also intended to address concerns raised by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
In its update on Friday, Meta highlighted that it has been working closely with the ICO to address regulatory concerns. "Since we paused training our generative AI models in the UK to address regulatory feedback, we've engaged positively with the ICO," Meta said. "This clarity and certainty will help us bring AI at Meta products to the UK much sooner."
As part of the updated approach, users in the UK will start receiving in-app notifications from next week. These notifications will explain the company's procedures and provide information on how users can object to their data being used for AI training. Meta has also simplified the process for users to opt out and extended the time frame in which they can do so.
The regulatory scrutiny followed backlash from advocacy group NOYB, which argued that Meta's initial notifications did not meet the EU’s stringent privacy and transparency standards. NOYB had urged national privacy watchdogs to prevent Meta from using social media content in this way.
Meta's adjustments aim to address these concerns and ensure compliance with privacy regulations while moving forward with its AI initiatives.
