Meta Will Use Your Facebook and Instagram Data to Train AI

Meta to Train AI Using Your Public Social Media Data

Starting May 27, 2025, Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — will begin using public data from European users to train its AI systems. This includes things like public posts, comments, profile pictures, and interactions with Meta AI tools.

Private messages and data from users under 18 will not be included. However, if you’ve posted or interacted publicly on these platforms, that information may be fed into Meta’s AI models.

Dutch Privacy Authority Urges Users to Take Action

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens) warns users to act quickly if they don't want their data to be used. According to Vice President Monique Verdier, once data is used to train AI, it's almost impossible to remove from the model.

If you don’t submit an objection before May 27, Meta will assume you agree to the use of your data.

How to Opt Out of AI Data Usage

Meta offers a way to object, but you must do this manually through your account settings. Here’s how:

1. Log in to Facebook or Instagram.
2. Go to Settings & Privacy.
3. Navigate to Your Information and Privacy Rights.
4. Select the option to object to the use of your data for AI training.
5. Submit the form and wait for confirmation.

Note: This opt-out only applies to data Meta collects on Facebook and Instagram. It does not include WhatsApp or other platforms.

Why This Matters

Meta says the goal is to improve AI features like smarter chatbots and content moderation. But privacy advocates warn that:

• You may lose control over how your data is used in AI models.
• The data could be used for commercial purposes without your clear consent.
• Once included, even deleted content may persist in AI systems.

This is why it’s important to make an informed decision and take action if you want to keep your personal data out of Meta’s training datasets.