Meta, the owner of social media platform Facebook, has admitted using Australians’ Facebook and Instagram posts to train its AI models, including public photos shared as far back as 2007.
Officials from the company told a Federal Senate inquiry into Adopting Artificial Intelligence, that while users in Europe can opt out, Australians are not offered this choice.
Meta’s representatives also revealed that European options to prevent the content being used, would not be extended to Australians.
Meta’s global privacy director, Melinda Claybaugh, stated that photos of children posted by adults are also used for AI training, sparking concerns over data privacy.
Australian lawmakers and academics have called for stronger privacy laws after the inquiry’s revelations, urging for new legal protections to prevent tech companies from exploiting personal content.