Meta's Plan to Utilize European User Data for AI Sparks Privacy Concerns
Privacy advocates challenge Meta's decision to train AI models using data from European users amid legal scrutiny.
A privacy advocacy group based in Vienna, the European Center for Digital Rights, also known as Noyb, has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Meta Platforms, Inc. following the company's announcement to employ European users' personal data for training its artificial intelligence (AI) models.
This decision was revealed in May 2025, despite ongoing criticism regarding its legality under European Union regulations.
Meta indicated its intention to proceed with the use of data from its Instagram and Facebook platforms on May 27, 2025. The move has attracted multiple privacy complaints from European entities.
In its defense, Meta has stated that it holds a 'legitimate interest' in processing this data for AI development purposes.
Noyb's founder, Max Schrems, has indicated that the organization is prepared to file an injunction or pursue a class-action lawsuit against Meta should the company fail to suspend its data usage plans.
Schrems criticized Meta's justification for using extensive amounts of personal data, claiming that such practices are not only unnecessary but also potentially illegal.
He argued that other AI providers have successfully trained models without relying on social network data, suggesting that their performance has been adequate despite the lack of user data from social platforms.
When Meta AI first launched in the European Union in late March 2025, the company emphasized that the AI was not trained using data from European users.
The rollout faced delays of over a year due to strict regulatory frameworks governing user data, artificial intelligence, and digital markets within Europe.
In June 2024, amid rising scrutiny and complaints, Meta temporarily paused its AI plans before announcing its decision to proceed once again.
Schrems, in a statement, highlighted the improbability of Meta's claims that it requires the personal data amassed over the past two decades from millions of users to effectively train its AI technologies, reiterating that user consent could be solicited as an alternative.
With an estimated 400 million users of Meta's services in Europe, Schrems suggested that even a modest approval rate of 10 percent would suffice for training purposes related to language understanding and AI model development.
Noyb, initiated in 2018, has a track record of initiating legal actions against major technology firms, often resulting in regulatory responses and changes in data handling practices.
This decision was revealed in May 2025, despite ongoing criticism regarding its legality under European Union regulations.
Meta indicated its intention to proceed with the use of data from its Instagram and Facebook platforms on May 27, 2025. The move has attracted multiple privacy complaints from European entities.
In its defense, Meta has stated that it holds a 'legitimate interest' in processing this data for AI development purposes.
Noyb's founder, Max Schrems, has indicated that the organization is prepared to file an injunction or pursue a class-action lawsuit against Meta should the company fail to suspend its data usage plans.
Schrems criticized Meta's justification for using extensive amounts of personal data, claiming that such practices are not only unnecessary but also potentially illegal.
He argued that other AI providers have successfully trained models without relying on social network data, suggesting that their performance has been adequate despite the lack of user data from social platforms.
When Meta AI first launched in the European Union in late March 2025, the company emphasized that the AI was not trained using data from European users.
The rollout faced delays of over a year due to strict regulatory frameworks governing user data, artificial intelligence, and digital markets within Europe.
In June 2024, amid rising scrutiny and complaints, Meta temporarily paused its AI plans before announcing its decision to proceed once again.
Schrems, in a statement, highlighted the improbability of Meta's claims that it requires the personal data amassed over the past two decades from millions of users to effectively train its AI technologies, reiterating that user consent could be solicited as an alternative.
With an estimated 400 million users of Meta's services in Europe, Schrems suggested that even a modest approval rate of 10 percent would suffice for training purposes related to language understanding and AI model development.
Noyb, initiated in 2018, has a track record of initiating legal actions against major technology firms, often resulting in regulatory responses and changes in data handling practices.
