Social media giant, Meta Platforms has reignited its plans to train its AI using UK users’ Facebook and Instagram posts. The company revealed it will soon start training its AI models on data from adults’ posts in the UK and Brazil.

The social media platform said it “incorporated regulatory feedback.” In a blog post, the company also claimed the move would enable its models to reflect British culture, history, and idiom. Meta also spoke of a revised “opt-out” approach to ensure that it is more transparent.

Meta got greenlight to implement the plan

According to a report by TC, AI at Meta tools are yet to be introduced in the UK and EU due to previously raised concerns by regulators about its plans, which resulted in a deadlock between the tech firm and EU over the matter.

However, Meta revealed on Friday that it will soon start using data from adult accounts to train its AI models in the coming months after carrying out positive engagements with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO is the UK’s data protection regulator. Meta added the company had received the green light to proceed with the process.

The US tech giant said it would begin the process in the coming months after positive discussions with the ICO.

“This clarity and certainty will help us bring AI at Meta products to the UK much sooner,” said Meta in a blog post.

“We welcome the ICO’s guidance supporting Meta’s implementation of the legal basis of ‘Legitimate Interests’, which can be a valid legal basis for using certain first-party data to train generative AI models for our AI at Meta features and experiences.”

Meta.

While it is not very clear how the latest plan differs from the previous, Meta indicated it would not use private messages with friends and family to train it AI models. the company will also not use data from accounts that belong to users who are below the age of 18.

The social media giant recently admitted before Australia’s lawmakers that it used public posts from Facebook and Instagram to train it generative AI models, although it also revealed accounts for users below the age of 18 were excluded.

We’re pleased to announce that, after taking onboard regulatory feedback, we will begin training our AI at Meta models using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram in the UK and Brazil.

— Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) September 13, 2024

Meta to start training on users’ data in the next months

Meta has also revealed that beginning next week, UK users will start to see notifications that explain what the tech giant intends to do and explain the scheme. The notifications will also give guidance on how UK users can opt out of the scheme to use their data for training.

The social media firm indicated that plans to start using data to train its models is expected to start in the coming months.

ICO executive director of regulatory risk, Stephen Almond said the regulator would monitor the situation in the next weeks.

“We have been clear that any organization using its users’ information to train generative AI models to be transparent about how people’s data is being used.”

Almond.

“Organizations should put effective safeguards in place before they start using personal data for model training, including providing a clear and simple route for users to object to the processing,” added Almond.

Almond also explained that the ICO had not given any regulatory approval for the processing, but , this remained Meta’s responsibility to demonstrate compliance. Meta’s announcement comes three months after the company paused its plans following regulatory objections raised by ICO.

Among the issues raised included how Meta was to gain user consent to process their personal data.

Lead privacy regulator in the EU, the Irish Data Protection Commission also flagged Meta’s proposal after receiving feedback from several other data protection authorities across the EU.