Kurt Knutsson’s latest study on CyberGuy.com showed how Facebook and Instagram use your social media postings to train their artificial intelligence (AI) systems. This approach aims to improve features such as AI chatbots and generative AI, which generate visuals and texts.
While European laws give more protections against such data exploitation, users in the United States have fewer safeguards. Since last year, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has used publicly published content from U.S. accounts without offering users the chance to opt out.
Meta’s first proposal to expand this practice to European and UK customers was met with opposition, causing a delay in its adoption. However, in the United States, Meta continues to use personal data from public postings, such as photographs, videos, and descriptions, in its AI models. Private accounts and direct communications are excluded from this data gathering.
According to Meta, their utilization of public data is not uncommon among IT businesses that employ AI training. Companies like as Google and OpenAI use publicly accessible data, but Meta is unique in that it directly leverages personal information supplied on its platforms.
How to protect your data?
- Make Your Account Private.
To keep Meta from exploiting your data for AI training, try keeping your Facebook and Instagram accounts private. Here’s how.
Open your Facebook account, then navigate to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Audience and visible > Posts, then select Friends or Only Me as the visible setting.
Instagram: Go to your profile, touch the three lines, then Settings > Account Privacy, then set your account to private.
- Delete Public Posts: Removing public posts might prevent Meta from using your data for AI training.
- Invest in data removal services to delete personal information from the internet. While it may not completely remove everything, it does allow continuous monitoring and removal from numerous sites.
Why This Matters
The use of personal data without explicit agreement creates issues of privacy and data governance. While users in the EU have legal rights and openness around data usage, consumers in the United States do not have the same rules. This disparity highlights the need for more stringent data protection legislation to guarantee that all users have control over their personal information.
Knutsson believes that tighter laws are required to prevent tech firms from misusing user data for AI research without proper authorization. As Meta’s AI capabilities grow, knowing and regulating your social media privacy settings will become increasingly important.
Conclusion
To summarize, while Meta leverages publicly posted material from Facebook and Instagram to improve its AI capabilities, individuals may take actions to secure their data. Individuals can reduce the possibility that their personal information will be used without their agreement by updating their privacy settings and contemplating data cleanup services. As arguments about data privacy develop, fighting for stricter rules remains critical to protecting digital privacy rights.
Source: Kurt Knutsson, “Facebook and Instagram use your data to train AI: Learn how to protect it.” CyberGuy Report, June 25, 2024. CyberGuy.com. You can check out the full article here.
I’m Voss Xolani, and I’m deeply passionate about exploring AI software and tools. From cutting-edge machine learning platforms to powerful automation systems, I’m always on the lookout for the latest innovations that push the boundaries of what AI can do. I love experimenting with new AI tools, discovering how they can improve efficiency and open up new possibilities. With a keen eye for software that’s shaping the future, I’m excited to share with you the tools that are transforming industries and everyday life.