September 25th 2024.
Believe it or not, there's a fake Instagram story going around that's been shared by almost 550,000 people already. It claims that if you don't repost it, Meta (the company that owns Facebook and Instagram) will use your information without your consent. It's no secret that tech giants like Meta have been using user data to train artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and other services. But this viral post is suggesting that you can opt out of this by simply sharing a copy-paste statement on your Instagram story.
The statement reads: "Goodbye Meta AI. Please note an attorney has advised us to put this on, failure to do so may result in legal consequences. As Meta is now a public entity, all members must post a similar statement. If you do not post at least once, it will be assumed that you are okay with them using your information and photos. I do not give Meta or anyone else permission to use any of my personal data, profile information, or photos." Celebrities like Julianne Moore, Sarah Paulson, and James McAvoy have already shared it, and it's been gaining traction since earlier this month. But, surprise surprise, it's completely made up.
In fact, Instagram has flagged the post as false information and blurred it out. You have to click "see post" to view it. According to third-party fact-checkers, the information in this post is also false in other similar posts. Instagram included a link to fact-checking services and noted that sharing this post does not mean you can suddenly opt out of Meta's terms and conditions. However, users in Europe do have the option to object via a form in their account settings.
So, how can you actually opt out of Meta's AI training with your data? It's actually pretty simple. Just visit the Meta Privacy Center from your Facebook account, click "data settings," and then tap "off-Facebook activity." From there, select "manage your data" and turn off "data sharing" and "AI model training." On Instagram, you can tap "settings," "about," and then "privacy policy."
This type of copied-and-pasted text post, also known as a "copypasta," has been circulating on Facebook and Instagram. However, fact-checkers say that users cannot retroactively opt out of privacy terms they agreed to when signing up. And posting a contrary legal notice on your account will not change any new policies. For example, Meta's new terms and conditions, which went into effect on June 26th, allow them to use posts, images, and online tracking data to train their AI, known as LLaMa 3.
Meta AI is a smart assistant software that offers a similar service to ChatGBT, but it learns by scraping web pages, books, articles, research papers, and social media posts. Meta announced the launch of their generative AI feature last year, and they stressed that these features go through a rigorous internal privacy review to ensure they are using people's data responsibly while building better experiences for connection and expression.
On a page about their generative AI tools, Meta clarifies that they only use photos and text posted on Instagram and Facebook to train their AI models, but they do not use private posts or direct messages. However, the post in question has now been partially blocked with a notice that says it contains false information.
Facebook's legal terms state that if you share a photo on their platform, you are giving them permission to store, copy, and share it with others. Similarly, Instagram's terms of service mention that they use technologies like AI and machine learning to ensure the functionality and integrity of their service. In June, European users were given the option to object to this. The European privacy group, NOYB, even took legal action against Meta last month, claiming that they are violating GDPR by processing users' data without their consent.
According to NOYB, Max Schrems, "Meta is basically saying that they can use any data from any source for any purpose and make it available to anyone in the world, as long as it's done via AI technology." This goes against GDPR compliance. A 2017 study found that 91% of consumers accept terms and conditions without reading them. So, it's important to be cautious and not believe everything you read on social media, especially when it comes to your privacy.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
