VIENNA: Meta has paused plans to use personal data to train its artificial intelligence technology in Europe, Ireland’s regulator said on Friday, after the social media giant was hit with privacy complaints.

Last week, a Vienna-based privacy campaign group filed complaints in 11 European countries against Meta, saying the global tech giant’s planned privacy policy change would allow “unlawful” use of personal data to train an “undefined” type of current and future AI technology.

The complaints brought by the European Center for Digital Rights, also known as Noyb (“None of Your Business”), followed a recent announcement by Meta in which it informed its European users of a change in its privacy policy from June 26.

The group said it found out that Meta planned to use all public and non-public user data that it has collected since 2007 for the AI technology.

Through the complaints, the group asked data protection authorities in the 11 European countries to stop Meta’s new privacy policy before it enters into force in late June and fully investigate it.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2024