Meta's AI content usage policy sparks viral hoax on social media

A viral social media trend encouraging users to post a message opting out of Meta’s use of their content for AI training has resurfaced, despite having been thoroughly debunked previously as a hoax. Critics argue that these posts are ineffective and legally meaningless.

The trend gained traction after Meta announced its intention to incorporate user-generated content into its large language models, which power its AI systems. Celebrities, including Rafael Nadal, have shared these misleading posts, contributing to their widespread dissemination.

The company has also stated that it’s going to use your public posts for AI training, “We use publicly available online and licensed information to train AI at Meta, as well as the information that people have shared publicly on Meta’s products and services. This information includes things like public posts or public photos and their captions. In the future, we may also use the information people share when interacting with our generative AI features, like Meta AI, or with a business, to develop and improve our AI products. We don’t use the content of your private messages with friends and family to train our AIs.”

The company has clarified that users in the EU can opt out of having their public posts used for AI training through the 'Right to Object.' However, users in other regions currently lack this option. In a statement, the company emphasised, as per reports, the company has stated, "sharing this story does not count as a valid form of objection,” asserting that such posts do not alter the company's data usage policies.

Experts caution that these viral messages represent 'engagement theatre,' diverting attention from more substantive actions users can take to protect their rights. The spread of misinformation on social media platforms, which are designed for rapid content consumption, has resulted in significant challenges for informed political discourse.  Users are being encouraged to educate themselves about their legal rights by reviewing app user agreements and exploring provisions like the EU's ‘Right to Object.’