- A German consumer protection group is asking Meta to stop their AI training plans in the EU
- All public publications and user interactions are configured to feed Meta AI from May 27, 2025
- Meta affirms that the training of AI complies with the EU law, but privacy defenders still question their legality under GDPR
A consumer German protection group is asking Meta to stop their plan to begin training their AI models with the data of EU users.
Verbraucherzentrale North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has sent a cessation and withdrawal letter to the great technological giant on April 30, 2025, to demand that Facebook and Instagram stop their training plans of AI. The group also threatens more legal actions if Meta decides not to comply.
“It is imperative to act quickly, because once the data has been incorporated into the AI, it is difficult to recover it,” said Christine Steffen, an expert in data protection at the Center for Consumers of Consumers in Northern Rhine-Westfalia, in an official announcement.
All public publications and user interactions are configured to feed the goal AI as of May 27, 2025. If they do not want this to happen, EU users should choose not to actively participate.
An illegal approach?
Meta, the parent company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, successfully launched a target AI in the EU in March, almost a year after the company stopped the launch in the midst of growing concerns among EU data regulators.
In its official announcement, the company ensures that its approach complies with European laws and regulations. “We appreciate the opinion provided by the EDPB in December, who said that our original approach complied with our legal obligations,” target wrote.
Specifically, EDPB’s opinion provides a guide to help the Ireland Data Protection Authority (DPA) to evaluate the use of legitimate interest as a legal basis for AI models.
However, experts in German consumers now argue that a reference to legitimate interest is insufficient for goal AI. They also point out how users should not accept that the personal information they shared with goal over the years could now be used for the training of AI.
“Besides, It cannot be ruled out that particularly confidential information, which is particularly protected by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is also used for AI training purposes, “said Steffen.” In that case, a call exclusion, as offered by goal, is not enough; Those affected would have to actively consent to this. “
#Meta omits consent, violate #GDPR with the EU data training. 📊🚫 #dataprotectationmatters #makeprivacyreality pic.twitter.com/nywzqoxtylApril 18, 2025
The Austrian privacy defense group Noyb (none of its business) also believes that Meta AI may not comply with GDPR laws.
“Meta is deliberately trying to ignore European law and is putting its commercial interests above the fundamental right to the protection of data of those affected,” said Noyb’s co -founder and lawyer, Max Schrems, in an official announcement, sharing his total support with the verbouchaterzentrale NRW actions.
“Meta must simply ask the affected people of their consent. But if the goal ignores the EU law, there will be consequences for all of Europe,” Schrems added.
With the goal AI officially starting in approximately two weeks, we could see more actions from other European consumption groups, privacy authorities or DPA itself.
Meanwhile, privacy experts such as Proton, the supplier behind one of the best VPN and encrypted email applications, urge people in Europe concerned about their privacy to choose not to participate in the target training AI. “It is difficult to predict why this data could be used in the future, better to be sure than cure,” Proton wrote in a LinkedIn post.
If you are in the EU, you have until May 27 to prevent Facebook and Instagram from using any of your data to train your AI models. To do so, you must log in to your account and complete an objection form (a Facebook form and one for Instagram). No reason is required to object.
You may also like
