Facebook’s New AI Feature Scans Unposted Photos for Training – Raising Privacy Concerns
AI
Meta
Facebook
Artificial Intelligence
Data Privacy
Camera Roll
AI Training
Tech
8
Data Drain
Media Hype
7/10
Real Impact
8/10
What is the Viqus Verdict?
We evaluate each news story based on its real impact versus its media hype to offer a clear and objective perspective.
AI Analysis:
The news generated considerable media attention (fueled by concerns around data privacy), but the core issue – Meta collecting and potentially analyzing unposted photos – is a long-standing one, making the immediate impact somewhat predictable, although the media coverage elevates the perceived importance.
Article Summary
Meta has launched a new opt-in feature for Facebook and Canadian users that enables the platform’s AI to analyze photos directly from your phone’s camera roll. This feature, dubbed “shareworthy,” aims to offer creative suggestions and edits to users’ existing photos. However, the rollout has sparked debate and raised concerns regarding user privacy. Initially, Meta stated that the camera roll media would not be used to improve AI at Meta unless the user chooses to edit it with the AI tool or shares the resulting creation. Following a clarification from Meta spokesperson Mari Melguizo, it was revealed that Meta will collect and store your photos in the cloud and Meta’s AI will get to look at them, but the company won’t use them to train their AI unless you take an additional action. Despite assurances, the core function—scanning unposted, private photos—remains a point of contention. This follows previous disclosures that Meta has already been training AI on all public photos and text posted by adult users since 2007. The feature is meant to offer users creative tools and help users who don’t have time to “create something special,” but the underlying data collection practice remains a delicate issue for users wary of Meta’s data usage.Key Points
- Facebook is introducing a new feature that analyzes photos from your camera roll using its AI.
- Meta initially stated that the AI wouldn't train on the media unless the user actively edits or shares the photo, but this was clarified.
- The feature involves collecting and storing user photos in the cloud, raising concerns about Meta’s ongoing data collection practices.