Meta Ordered to Stop Data Collection for AI Training in Brazil

Brazilian authorities have decided to stop Meta's data gathering with the purpose of training AI solutions, erecting yet another obstacle for the Facebook and Instagram parent company to overcome worldwide.

Meta is trying to use as much data as possible from its systems, including Facebook and Instagram, with the clear purpose of training AI. The official reason is that, if the company is working on new technologies for consumers, they would benefit from such training.

However, Meta faces resistance from various countries, including the entire European Union, that are not happy with its data-collection policies.

The National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) in Brazil decided to suspend Meta's data collection process because of evidence it might violate the General Data Protection Law (LGPD).

"The measure refers to the update to the company's privacy policy that came into effect on June 26. The new policy applies to 'Meta Products', which include Facebook, Messenger and Instagram , and allows the company to use publicly available information and content shared by users of its platforms to train and improve generative AI systems. Such treatment could impact a substantial number of people, since, in Brazil, Facebook alone has around 102 million active users," said the ANPD in a statement.

"The ANPD assessed that the company did not provide adequate and necessary information so that data subjects were aware of the possible consequences of the processing of their personal data for the development of generative AI models."

Authorities determined that the company made it unnecessarily difficult even if users could stop the data collection. Another problem was that personal data of children and adolescents, such as photos, videos and posts, could also be collected and used to train Meta's AI systems, which is illegal under LGPD.

Suffice to say that Meta wasn't happy with the decision. In a statement to the Associated Press, according to The Hacker News, the company called the measure is "a step backwards for innovation, competition in AI development and further delays bringing the benefits of AI to people in Brazil."