As you scroll through Instagram, you should likely have seen the viral warning about Meta's new AI features. Users, including celebrities like James McAvoy and Tom Brady, share the "Goodbye Meta AI" message regarding their discontent with the tech giant's data usage in training AI models. Beware: it's a new privacy hoax to avoid.
Is that virus notice legally adequate? No, and here is why.
Meta's AI Features and What is Scaring People
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, recently rolled out some artificial intelligence features. Some of the new AI features released include an AI chatbot meant to answer users' questions, digital stickers, and photo editing services.
While these improving user experiences are excitedly embraced, data behind the new features concerns most people. According to a report from Meta, public posts on both Instagram and Facebook are used to update its generative AI models.
The Guardian spotted that a public notice about these revelations has increased anxiety among users so much that it has been shared everywhere. It is a "Goodbye Meta AI" message that claims Meta does not have permission to use personal data as part of training AI. However, the notice has no legal standing.
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Reality About Meta's Terms of Service
The problem here is that users registering on Instagram and Facebook accept the terms of service of Meta. Under these terms, Meta has wide rights in using, distributing, and modifying content contributed by users.
According to assistant professor of digital media technology at The University of Alabama, Jessica Maddox, via Huff Post, "Just posting it is not going to be enough because you have already agreed to it by having created your account.".
More precisely, when logging in and using the company's various platforms, you've given Meta permission to use the content you upload in all the ways it currently uses, which includes training its AI. That means posts going back as far as 2007, according to Meta's lawyer during an Australian Senate inquiry.
The 'Goodbye Meta AI' Message: A Modern Chain Letter
The "Goodbye Meta AI" meme is similar to the old-school chain email of the '90s -- ones in which users were supposed to send the message to avoid some bad luck.
As Maddox says, such a viral posting spreads when people start thinking that others must also have a reason for doing that. Just like those chain emails, this Instagram trend holds no real power.
While the message could resonate with real fears over privacy, simply posting a statement on your Instagram story won't override the terms of service you've already agreed to.
How to Protect Your Data from AI Training
While reposting the "Goodbye Meta AI" notice won't stop Meta from using your data, there are legitimate steps you can take to protect your privacy.
Meta claims to use only public posts as material for training its AI, so making your posts private could constrain how your data is used.
Meta also publishes a form users can use to request the deletion of personal information it may use for its AI training. However, proof that your data was used is required and is subject to local laws.
AI and Data Privacy Concerns Are Real
Although the viral notice itself is an ineffective tool, the issues it raises are not illegitimate.
As Meta and others in the tech industry continue to develop their AI technologies, many people feel uncomfortable regarding how personal data are being used without explicit permission.
In places like the European Union, tighter regulations around privacy exist, thus better safeguarding against such practices. However, for US-based users, fewer protections exist at the legal level, and more procedures are needed to opt out when using AI-related data collection.
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