Although new generation artificial intelligence models have made our lives easier and paved the way for exciting new technologies, how giant companies like Facebook and OpenAI train these artificial intelligence models is also a matter of separate suspicion. The Meta front made a confession that worried users in an ongoing lawsuit.
Facebook: “We used users’ photos!”
Melinda Claybaugh, Meta’s Global Privacy Director, testified at an Australian Senate inquiry. When Labor Senator Tony Sheldon asked whether Meta had used Australian users’ posts dating back to 2007 to develop its generative AI tools, Claybaugh initially denied the allegation.
But Senator David Shoebridge disputed Claybaugh’s claim. Shoebridge said, “The truth is, Meta decided that it was going to collect all the photos and all the text from every public post on Instagram or Facebook since 2007, unless you’ve set those posts to private since 2007, right?” he asked. Claybaugh said, “TRUE” He answered and confessed the situation.
Confession of the century: Facebook is listening to our phones!
The rumor that platforms like Facebook are listening to your microphone has been an urban legend for years and it turns out that it’s true.
Claybaugh added that accounts of people under the age of 18 are not scanned. However, when Senator Sheldon asked whether public photos of his children on his account would be scanned, Claybaugh acknowledged that would be done as well.
A Facebook representative declined to answer questions about whether previous years’ worth of data was scanned for users who are currently adults but were under 18 when they created their accounts. In short, if you were under 18 when you opened your account, your photos may have been scanned.
Meta admitted in the lawsuit that it used public photos, posts and other data of Australian adult users to train its artificial intelligence models. The company notably offered an opt-out option to users in the European Union but not to Australian users.
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