Ethical Hacking News
In a significant escalation of tensions between Meta and a powerful European privacy advocate group, noyb has sent a cease and desist letter to Facebook's parent company, alleging that its plans to train AI on the data of its European users violate EU regulations. The dispute highlights the need for greater clarity on how AI training can be conducted in accordance with GDPR, and raises important questions about transparency and accountability in AI development.
Meta has received a cease and desist letter from noyb, demanding it abandon plans to train its AI on European users' data due to GDPR concerns. Noby disputes Meta's claim that vast amounts of personal data are necessary for AI cultural awareness, citing successful models without such access. Meta has a history of violating GDPR rules and agrees with noyb that the exception should not be applied to AI training. noby warns of potential class-action lawsuit and damages exceeding €200 billion if Meta fails to comply.
Meta, the social media giant behind Facebook and WhatsApp, is once again at odds with a powerful European privacy advocate group, noyb. The latest salvo in this ongoing battle comes as noyb has sent a cease and desist letter to Meta, demanding that the company abandon its plans to train its AI on the data of its European users.
At the heart of this dispute lies the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a set of EU laws designed to protect citizens' personal information in the digital age. Meta's stated intention is to collect social media data from every single user's post and comments dating back 20 years in order to adequately train its AI models.
However, noyb disputes this plan, arguing that it is "absurd" for Meta to believe that such a vast amount of personal data is necessary to make its AI systems culturally aware. The group points out that other AI providers, such as OpenAI and French Mistral, have achieved significant success without accessing social media data.
Moreover, noyb notes that Meta has already been held accountable for violating GDPR rules in the past, including in 2023 when it agreed to drop its claim of "legitimate interest" in targeting users with advertisements. The group claims that this same exception should not be applied to AI training, where the stakes are just as high.
"Noyb's copycat actions are part of an attempt by a vocal minority of activist groups to delay AI innovation in the EU," Meta claimed in response to noyb's letter. However, the company's spokesperson seems to have missed the point entirely.
While Meta disputes noyb's claims, it appears increasingly likely that this matter will end up in court. In fact, noyb has warned that if it were to file a class-action redress lawsuit, Meta could be on the hook for more than €200 billion ($224B), assuming €500 in non-material damages per each EU monthly active user.
It is worth noting that other ground in the EU are also reviewing their options for litigation to stop Meta's AI data collection, and expects individual European citizens will likely take action as well. The implications of this dispute extend far beyond Meta itself, highlighting the need for greater clarity on how AI training can be conducted in accordance with GDPR.
The debate surrounding AI and data privacy is one that will only continue to grow more contentious as these technologies become increasingly ubiquitous. As we hurtle towards a future where machines are able to learn from vast amounts of human-generated data, it becomes ever more crucial that we establish robust frameworks for protecting personal information.
Ultimately, this dispute serves as a stark reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in AI development. Noyb's demands for Meta to obtain explicit consent from its users before collecting their social media data may seem excessive to some, but they represent a necessary step towards ensuring that our most sensitive personal information is treated with the respect it deserves.
As we look towards the future, one thing is certain: noyb will not be silenced in its pursuit of protecting European citizens' rights. The outcome of this battle will set an important precedent for AI development in the EU, and for that reason alone, it is a matter worthy of our attention and consideration.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Noyb-Takes-Aim-at-Metas-AI-Training-Plans-alleging-EU-Regulations-are-being-Flouted-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/05/14/metas_still_violating_gdpr_rules/
Published: Wed May 14 12:16:55 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
