American technology company Meta should clearly ask users for consent to use their data to teach artificial intelligence, the Austrian association NOYB has warned, asking a group of EU countries to urgently halt planned changes to Meta’s privacy policy. of privacy.
Meta’s legitimate interest is to use data for training and development of models based on generative artificial intelligence and other similar tools, the company claims. The main source of income for digital companies is advertising, and data is used to create personalized ads.
From June 26, according to the planned changes, the company will be able to use the posts and private photos of users and data about their activity on the Internet to teach AI technology, warns the Austrian digital rights association NOYB (None of Your Business), founded by activist Max Schrems.
NOYB is therefore calling on regulators in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Spain to take immediate action to stop the announced changes.
The Austrian association submitted a moreć several lawsuits against Meta and other big tech giants for allegedly violating the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which carries fines equivalent to up to four percent of global turnover.
The EU court has already resolved the issue of “legitimate interest” in 2021, warns Schrems.
“The EU Court has already made it clear that Meta’s ‘legitimate interest’ is not superior to the user’s right to data protection when it comes to advertising,” emphasizes the Austrian activist.
“Nevertheless, the company is now making the same arguments regarding the training of an undefined ‘AI technology’. It seems that Meta, once again, is simply ignoring the judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union,” concludes Schrems.
The process of denying consent is very complicated, he emphasizes.
“Putting the responsibility on the user is completely absurd. It is up to Target to ask the user for consent, it says in the law, and not to send them a well-hidden consent denial form that leads to wrong conclusions,” Schrems explains.
“If Meta wants to use your data, it has to ask your permission. Instead, they make users beg them not to use their data.” Schrems said.