Austrian privacy advocacy group noyb has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Meta’s Irish headquarters, threatening legal action if the company proceeds with its plans to utilize user data for training artificial intelligence (AI) models without obtaining explicit opt-in consent. This action comes after Meta announced it would begin AI training using data collected from adults on Facebook and Instagram within the European Union (E.U.) starting May 27, 2025. This move follows a prior pause in June 2024, prompted by concerns from Irish data protection authorities.

Noyb criticized Meta’s approach, stating that the company is relying on an alleged "legitimate interest" to gather user data without consent. They argue that this strategy poses significant legal risks and breaches the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The organization also highlighted that limiting the right to opt-out prior to data collection is against users’ rights. Noyb emphasized that even a small percentage of user consent would provide sufficient data for the company to develop language models specific to the E.U. region.

Meta has defended its position, asserting that it offers E.U. users a "clear" option to refuse data processing for its AI training. This argument is not the first instance of scrutiny regarding Meta’s reliance on GDPR’s "legitimate interest" for data collection. In August 2023, the company agreed to shift to a consent-based model for targeting advertisements in the E.U.

The situation reflects a growing concern over AI ethics and user privacy rights, as Meta faces potential significant legal repercussions while attempting to navigate its data processing protocols within European law.

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