European privacy group NOYB has filed
complaints in 11 European countries against Meta, asking
authorities to launch an 'urgency procedure' to immediately halt
the abuse of personal data by the social network giant to train
artificial intelligence, the organization said in a statement on
Thursday.
The complaints followed a recent announcement by Meta, which
informed European users that its privacy policy was changing
starting on June 26.
The organization said it has discovered that, through its new
privacy policy, the US giant actually intends to use public and
non-public user data gathered since 2007 for undefined "AI
technology".
According to NOYB, such a technology can ingest personal data
from any source and share any information with undefined "third
parties".
The change, the organization noted, is particularly
concerning as it involves the personal data of about four
billion Meta users, which will be used for experimental
technology essentially without limit.
"This is clearly the opposite of GDPR (General Data
Protection Regulation) compliance", commented NOYB founder Max
Schrems.
Schrems pointed his finger against Meta because it "doesn't
say what it will use the data for" and says "it can use any data
from any source for any purpose and make it available to anyone
in the world".
With the complaints - presented to data protection
authorities in Italy, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Spain - the
organization aims to block Meta's new privacy policy before it
comes into effect at the end of June.
Data protection authorities will now have to quickly decide
whether to launch urgency procedures or a normal procedure,
without issuing preliminary halts.
NOYB said it expects to present in the coming days additional
complaints in other EU member States.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
