Objection to meta data use: take the last chance today!

Objection to meta data use: take the last chance today!

More and more users are concerned about the use of their data by large tech companies. A current example is META, which is planning to use data from Facebook and Instagram users for the training of its artificial intelligence, known as "Meta AI", from May 27th. Exxpress informs that users have to actively object until today in order to prevent use of their data.

The company refers to a "legitimate interest" as long as the users do not object. However, the deadline for filing the objection ends today, and the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer center has already asserted that this is a violation of European data protection law. This concern is reinforced by the fact that the data can no longer be recovered or deleted after the deadline; The contradiction only applies to future content. The data outlined publicly visible content such as posts, comments, photos, videos and stories.

: This is how it works

In order to object, users must go through the somewhat complicated process. According to Tagesschau , Facebook and Instagram users must first open their profile page and then tap on the profile photo or the three lines to get to "Settings and privacy". There you select “Settings” and scroll up to the “Data Protection Directive”. Then you have to search for the term “contradiction” with the magnifying glass.

In the next step, a link to a form is displayed in which the users have to specify whether their request refers to AI at Meta. After you have selected “yes”, you can enter your email address and click “Send”. The aim is to effectively protect your own data. Data protectionists criticize the immediate use of the data and complain that users have to become active in order to protect their rights.

Legal challenges and AI use

The planned use of user data raises various legal questions that must be treated in the context of General Regulation (GDPR) . This regulates the collection and processing of data and, among other things, provides compliance with the principles of data minimization and purpose commitment. The challenges here are significant, since AI systems often process data in a way that questions these principles.

Another problem results from the lack of transparency of AI decisions. Many systems act as "black boxes", which makes it difficult to understand how their data is processed. The GDPR demands that users are informed and also have the opportunity to contest decisions. Meta argues that access to real content is necessary to train the AI ​​in dealing with German culture, language and history.

users are therefore in a situation in which you not only have to actively protect your data, but also have to react to the legal and technological challenges that are connected by the use of your information by companies such as META. You can only perceive your rights in the digital space through unquestionable commitment and information.