Meta Platforms Inc. has announced that it will inform its Brazilian users about how their personal data will be used to train generative artificial intelligence (AI). This comes after Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) called for the company to be more supportive of data use.
Meta Notifications
Meta users in Brazil will get an email, Facebook, and Instagram notification on how their data will be used to train the system, starting 8th September. The company will also allow users to disable the use of this data. This follows the recent ban of Meta’s new privacy policy by the ANPD in July this year. This ban was mainly because of the fear that personal data is being used to train AI algorithms.
Meta Pauses AI Tools in Brazil
The ANPD lifted the suspension last Friday after Meta committed to providing the required disclosures. The ANPD noted that in case of failure to meet the notification requirement, Meta may be fined 50,000 reais ($9,058) per day. During the suspension, Meta banned generative AI tools in Brazil and other affected countries, including features like WhatsApp’s AI-generated stickers. Since WhatsApp is popular in Brazil, Meta’s decision impacted the users to a large extent. Meta noted that the suspension of these tools was a temporary measure while the ANPD sorted out the issues with the company. Meta’s privacy policy suspension in Brazil was partly due to some previous incidents of AI abuse. Earlier this year, fake ads on Meta platforms employed AI to replicate the voice of Brazilian businessman Luciano Hang. The ads fooled users into purchasing products that were not real.
Meta's AI Investments
Despite the regulatory challenges, Meta continues to invest heavily in AI, which has been a key driver of its recent financial success. As highlighted by Cryptopolitan earlier, the share price of the company rose by 13% last month to hit $544.23. Meta has not released any statement that suggests that it will continue to operate its generative AI tools in Brazil after the suspension. Additionally, the Supreme Court of Brazil supports the ban on X, formerly Twitter, since the company did not register a new legal representative in Brazil. The ban follows a legal dispute that started in April when Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the blocking of several accounts on X for allegedly sharing fake news. Elon Musk, Head of X, expressed his disdain for the judge, saying that the judge is an “unelected pseudo-judge” and that the decision made was politically influenced.
Thus, Meta is taking steps to comply with the ANPD's requirements by informing users about data collection and offering an opt-out option. Regulatory challenges continue to accompany the company's activities, but its investments in AI remain a significant part of its strategy.
Comments