Introduction

Facebook users now have the ability to delete certain personal information that is used by the company to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) models. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has updated its help center resource section to include a form that allows users to submit requests regarding their third-party information used for generative AI model training.

Opt-Out Tool for Generative AI Data

As generative AI technology becomes more prevalent, with companies developing advanced chatbots and transforming simple text into sophisticated responses and images, Meta is giving users the option to access, modify, or delete any personal data included in the third-party sources used to train its AI models. The form provided by Meta refers to third-party information as data that is publicly available or obtained through licensing agreements. This data is used to train generative AI models that create new content based on predictions and patterns.

Data Collection for Generative AI

In a blog post, Meta explains that it collects public information from the internet and also licenses data from other providers. This includes personal information found in blog posts, such as names and contact details. However, the form does not address a user’s activity on Facebook-owned platforms, such as public comments and Instagram photos.

Concerns and User Rights

Privacy advocates have raised concerns about aggregating large amounts of publicly available information for AI training. In response, a consortium of data protection agencies from various countries issued a joint statement to companies like Meta, urging them to protect personal information accessible on their websites from data scraping. Users can take steps to protect their personal information, and social media companies should enable users to engage with their services while maintaining privacy.

How to Control Your Facebook Data for AI Training

• Visit Meta’s privacy policy page about generative AI and find the “Generative AI Data Subject Rights” form.
• Click the link to learn more and submit requests.
• Choose the option that best describes your issue or objection.

The available options allow users to access, download, correct, or delete their personal information obtained from third-party sources used for training generative AI models. Users may also select a different option if they have a unique issue. However, some users have reported difficulties completing the form due to a software bug.

Watch: Meta claims to have disrupted a large-scale disinformation campaign linked to Chinese law.