Meta Pauses Plans To Train AI Using European Users' Data, Bowing To Regulatory Pressure 22
Meta has confirmed that it will pause plans to start training its AI systems using data from its users in the European Union and U.K. From a report: The move follows pushback from the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), Meta's lead regulator in the EU, which is acting on behalf of several data protection authorities across the bloc. The U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) also requested that Meta pause its plans until it could satisfy concerns it had raised. "The DPC welcomes the decision by Meta to pause its plans to train its large language model using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram across the EU/EEA," the DPC said in a statement Friday. "This decision followed intensive engagement between the DPC and Meta. The DPC, in cooperation with its fellow EU data protection authorities, will continue to engage with Meta on this issue."
While Meta is already tapping user-generated content to train its AI in markets such as the U.S., Europe's stringent GDPR regulations has created obstacles for Meta -- and other companies -- looking to improve their AI systems, including large language models with user-generated training material. However, Meta last month began notifying users of an upcoming change to its privacy policy, one that it said will give it the right to use public content on Facebook and Instagram to train its AI, including content from comments, interactions with companies, status updates, photos and their associated captions. The company argued that it needed to do this to reflect "the diverse languages, geography and cultural references of the people in Europe."
While Meta is already tapping user-generated content to train its AI in markets such as the U.S., Europe's stringent GDPR regulations has created obstacles for Meta -- and other companies -- looking to improve their AI systems, including large language models with user-generated training material. However, Meta last month began notifying users of an upcoming change to its privacy policy, one that it said will give it the right to use public content on Facebook and Instagram to train its AI, including content from comments, interactions with companies, status updates, photos and their associated captions. The company argued that it needed to do this to reflect "the diverse languages, geography and cultural references of the people in Europe."
As with the Recall shit from Microsoft. (Score:4, Insightful)
"Pause" as in "We'll just wait 15 seconds for your attention to run out."
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No. "Pause" as in "we'll pay enough politicians so they sway the law we don't like our way, and then we'll do it".
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Fortunately EU regulators don't suffer from short attention spans.
Bowing To Regulatory Pressure (Score:5, Insightful)
What an odd way to say following the law.
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Meta's opt-out process is a mess (Score:2)
And you trust Meta why? (Score:4, Informative)
What has that company ever done to give the slightest indication they will respect any rule or regulation that is a net profit for them to break? Or any indication that they respect their users at all?
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It doesn't work that way, though. You can't create a law that legally binds everyone to cease and never resume any harmful activity without stopping all activity.
You need a balance between restrictions that protect the society (call it conservatism) and freedom that lets progress happen (call it liberalism).
It will always be a fight, and if there is a profit in any disgusting activity, it will be done.
So it is better to prepare, and to realize that most of the time you'll be on the losing end. And yet there
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Ah, ok, I've misunderstood then.
I think that FB means simply that they'll pause while they try their best to modify the laws that prevent them from doing what they want, or until they come up with a way to sidestep the law that isn't obviously illegal.
No problem. (Score:2)
Basically they just whine a lot and think Western Europe is the standard for how the rest of the world should live.
Meta will be alright. (Score:2)
Trained on Facebook posts? (Score:4, Insightful)
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This going to be a net negative for Europe (Score:3)
I salute governments standing up to these tech companies on AI and all, but this is going to ensure that the AI models have a heavy American bias in thought, spelling, culture, etc.
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There are no new British comedies on television. Music, movies, television and internet pages are full of "American bias in thought, spelling" and culture. For example: The 'war on terror' resulted in American television "(NCIS" being a leading mouthpiece.) postulating you have no rights. It was followed by governments around the world passing "national security" laws actually stripping citizens of their rights.
In 2005, publishers and broadcasters across English-speaking countries, banned the use of t
Excluding Identity information? (Score:2)
bias (Score:2)
So, it won't sport a European bias. Good.
Drat (Score:1)
The person who gave me that address said using the term GDPR in the e-mail would be the magic word to make everything happen. But nothing is happening.
I have an app
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