In a government survey on AI adoption in Australia, of methane asked global privacy director Melinda Claybaugh whether the company was collecting Australians’ data to train its generative AI technology. according to ABC NewsClaybaugh initially denied the claim, but after being pressed, he eventually admitted that since 2007, Meta had been deleting all photos and text from all Facebook and Instagram posts unless the user kept their posts private. In addition, he acknowledged that the company does not offer Australians the same opt-out option as it does for users in the European Union.
Claybaugh said Meta does not hack the accounts of users under 18, but acknowledged that the company still collects photos and other information from their parents or guardians if they are posted on their accounts. However, if the company collects data from previous years after the user turns 18, he could not respond. When asked why Meta doesn’t offer Australians the option to opt out of data collection, Claybaugh he said that it exists in the EU, likely “in response to a very specific legal framework” relating to the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Meta has warned users in the EU that it will collect their data for AI training unless they opt out. “I will say that the ongoing conversation in Europe is a direct result of the current regulatory landscape,” Klaybau said during the interview. But even in the region, Claybaugh said, there is “an ongoing legal question about the interpretation of existing privacy law regarding AI education.” Meta decided not offer its multimodal AI model and future versions on the block due to a lack of clarity from European regulators. Many of his concerns revolved around the difficulties of training AI models with data from European users in compliance with GDPR regulations.
Despite legal questions about AI adoption in Europe, the bottom line is that Meta empowers users on the blockchain to block data collection. “Meta announced today that Australians’ data would be protected if they had the same laws in place in Australia,” said Australian Senator David Shoebridge. ABC News. “Government failure to act on privacy means companies like Meta will continue to monetize and exploit children’s photos and videos on Facebook.”
