Mark Zuckerberg and Meta are reigniting tensions with the EU while defending their own agenda: “They’re trying to delay AI innovation.” You’ll need to do it again even if you previously opted out of having your data used to train AI. Europe is firmly in Zuckerberg’s crosshairs.

Artificial intelligence has become a cornerstone of Meta’s future plans. According to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, he’s more passionate about AI than about the metaverse, which didn’t bring him much satisfaction. His renewed focus is already visible, with Meta AI recently rolling out to WhatsApp – just the beginning of a much larger strategy.

But now Zuckerberg has hit a familiar roadblock: training AI models. Elon Musk previously warned about the looming “data peak” – the point at which there simply isn’t enough human-generated data left to train advanced systems. While Meta has shown in the past it was willing to exploit copyrighted content, it’s now pushing further. As Ars Technica reports, the company is once again prompting EU users to explicitly opt out of having their content used for AI training; otherwise, it will be treated as fair game.

Meta Seeks to Exploit User Activity

According to privacy group Noyb, Meta’s updated approach may violate the GDPR by requiring fresh consent from users, even those who already refused. They allege that the company may be collecting personal data that was previously protected, including non-public items like ephemeral stories shared with limited audiences. Meta, of course, was quick to push back.

The tech giant claims its actions are based on “legitimate interest,” a justification both Noyb and the European Court of Justice reject. Meta says it informed users through email and in-app alerts, providing them a chance to object. While Noyb calls this inadequate, Meta argues it needs EU data to build AI models that reflect local dialects, humor, and customs.

The controversy is growing once again. Mark Zuckerberg – the man behind your smile and your burpees – is back in the headlines over Meta’s AI ambitions in Europe. Noyb notes that other developers have succeeded in creating effective models without violating user privacy. Meta, meanwhile, accuses activists of “slowing down AI innovation” with legal resistance. Noyb is preparing legal action in response, aiming to safeguard the personal data of 400 million EU citizens.

Source: 3djuegos