NOYB, short for “none of your business,” argues that Meta’s updated privacy policy, coming into effect on June 26, will allow the use of personal posts, private images, and tracking data for AI development.
This move has prompted NOYB to file 11 complaints across Europe, seeking urgent action from data protection authorities in countries including Austria, Germany, and Poland.
Meta responds
Meta defended its practices, referencing a blog post from May 22 that explained the use of publicly available and licensed information, as well as publicly shared data from its platforms, to train AI.
“We are confident that our approach complies with privacy laws and aligns with how other tech companies develop and improve AI in Europe,” a Meta spokesperson said.
The company added that it is compliant with existing privacy laws and practices followed by other tech giants like Google and OpenAI.
Shifting responsibility
NOYB founder Max Schrems criticized Meta’s stance, citing a 2021 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) that denied Meta’s “legitimate interest” argument for overriding user data protection rights in advertising.
Schrems argued that Meta’s current approach to AI training mirrors past practices deemed unacceptable by the CJEU.
“Shifting responsibility to users is absurd. The law requires Meta to obtain opt-in consent, not provide a hidden opt-out form,” he said, adding that Meta’s strategy forces users to request exclusion from data usage, contrary to legal requirements for obtaining explicit permission.
Meta has faced multiple complaints from NOYB and other entities over alleged breaches of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which mandates strict data protection standards and threatens substantial fines for non-compliance.
