Australians' privacy concerns soar as Meta admits to scraping public photos without consent
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As we navigate the digital age, the importance of privacy and control over our personal data has become a paramount concern.
Yet, a recent revelation has left many Australians feeling vulnerable and exposed as users of a popular social media platform are discovering that their personal photos and information may have been harvested without their consent.
This revelation has sparked widespread concern about the extent of data collection practices and the lack of control users have over their information and has highlighted ongoing challenges in managing digital privacy and the need for more robust protections in the online world.
Facebook, the social media behemoth now known as Meta, has admitted to scraping the public photos, posts, and other data of all Australian adult users to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models.
What's more, unlike their European counterparts, Australians have no option to opt out of this data harvesting.
The issue came to light during an inquiry where Meta's Global Privacy Director, Melinda Claybaugh, was pressed on the company's practices.
Initially, when Labor Senator Tony Sheldon asked if Meta had used Australian posts from as far back as 2007 to feed its AI products, she denied it, saying ‘we have not done that’.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge quickly challenged this claim, ‘The truth of the matter is that unless you have consciously set those posts to private since 2007, Meta has just decided that you will scrape all of the photos and all of the texts from every public post on Instagram or Facebook since 2007 unless there was a conscious decision to set them on private. That's the reality, isn't it?’ to which Ms Claybaugh responded, ‘Correct.’
Ms Claybaugh clarified that accounts belonging to individuals under 18 were not scraped.
However, when Senator Sheldon inquired if public photos of his children on his account would be included, Ms Claybaugh admitted they would be.
In June, Meta informed users in the European Union and the United States that their data would be used to train its generative AI products, like Meta AI, unless they opted out.
Due to legal complexities related to strict privacy laws in those regions, the company offered an opt-out option to EU users.
Ms Claybaugh admitted during the inquiry that such opt-out options were not available to Australian users.
‘In Europe, there is an ongoing legal question around what is the interpretation of existing privacy law with respect to AI training,’ she said.
‘We have paused launching our AI products in Europe while there is a lack of certainty. So, you are correct that we are offering an opt-out to users in Europe. I will say that the ongoing conversation in Europe is the direct result of the existing regulatory landscape.’
Ms Claybaugh explained that while Australian users could set their data to private, the opt-out options provided to Europeans were due to local legal requirements.
She stated that Meta required extensive data to develop the most ‘flexible and powerful’ AI tools and to create a safer product with fewer biases.
This development follows a pledge from the federal government, made a day earlier, to impose a ban on social media for children due to concerns about the harm these platforms are causing.
Senator Shoebridge suggested that if the government is worried about the online risks faced by young people, addressing privacy laws should be a top priority.
‘There's a reason that people's privacy is protected in Europe and not in Australia, it's because European lawmakers made tough privacy laws,’ he stated.
‘Meta made it clear today that if Australia had these same laws, Australians' data would also have been protected.’
‘The government's failure to act on privacy means companies like Meta are continuing to monetise and exploit pictures and videos of children on Facebook,’ Senator Shoebridge added.
The government is expected to announce reforms to the Privacy Act, which a 2020 review found to be outdated.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus indicated earlier this year that new legislation would be announced, but the details and timing remain uncertain.
As concerns grow over the lack of opt-out options for users' data on social media platforms, the issue extends to more personal realms.
Recent revelations about Facebook's data practices have highlighted a significant privacy gap, where users’ photos and information are being used without consent to train AI models.
This raises alarm bells for parents, who might find their children’s images being used in ways they never agreed to.
The implications of these practices are far-reaching, emphasising the urgent need for clearer privacy protections and consent mechanisms.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Have you taken steps to protect your privacy online? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below, and let's work together to safeguard our digital lives.
Yet, a recent revelation has left many Australians feeling vulnerable and exposed as users of a popular social media platform are discovering that their personal photos and information may have been harvested without their consent.
This revelation has sparked widespread concern about the extent of data collection practices and the lack of control users have over their information and has highlighted ongoing challenges in managing digital privacy and the need for more robust protections in the online world.
Facebook, the social media behemoth now known as Meta, has admitted to scraping the public photos, posts, and other data of all Australian adult users to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models.
What's more, unlike their European counterparts, Australians have no option to opt out of this data harvesting.
The issue came to light during an inquiry where Meta's Global Privacy Director, Melinda Claybaugh, was pressed on the company's practices.
Facebook admitted to using Australian users' public data to train its AI without offering an opt-out option, unlike in the EU. Credit: Shutterstock
Initially, when Labor Senator Tony Sheldon asked if Meta had used Australian posts from as far back as 2007 to feed its AI products, she denied it, saying ‘we have not done that’.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge quickly challenged this claim, ‘The truth of the matter is that unless you have consciously set those posts to private since 2007, Meta has just decided that you will scrape all of the photos and all of the texts from every public post on Instagram or Facebook since 2007 unless there was a conscious decision to set them on private. That's the reality, isn't it?’ to which Ms Claybaugh responded, ‘Correct.’
Ms Claybaugh clarified that accounts belonging to individuals under 18 were not scraped.
However, when Senator Sheldon inquired if public photos of his children on his account would be included, Ms Claybaugh admitted they would be.
In June, Meta informed users in the European Union and the United States that their data would be used to train its generative AI products, like Meta AI, unless they opted out.
Due to legal complexities related to strict privacy laws in those regions, the company offered an opt-out option to EU users.
Ms Claybaugh admitted during the inquiry that such opt-out options were not available to Australian users.
‘In Europe, there is an ongoing legal question around what is the interpretation of existing privacy law with respect to AI training,’ she said.
‘We have paused launching our AI products in Europe while there is a lack of certainty. So, you are correct that we are offering an opt-out to users in Europe. I will say that the ongoing conversation in Europe is the direct result of the existing regulatory landscape.’
Ms Claybaugh explained that while Australian users could set their data to private, the opt-out options provided to Europeans were due to local legal requirements.
She stated that Meta required extensive data to develop the most ‘flexible and powerful’ AI tools and to create a safer product with fewer biases.
This development follows a pledge from the federal government, made a day earlier, to impose a ban on social media for children due to concerns about the harm these platforms are causing.
Senator Shoebridge suggested that if the government is worried about the online risks faced by young people, addressing privacy laws should be a top priority.
‘There's a reason that people's privacy is protected in Europe and not in Australia, it's because European lawmakers made tough privacy laws,’ he stated.
‘Meta made it clear today that if Australia had these same laws, Australians' data would also have been protected.’
‘The government's failure to act on privacy means companies like Meta are continuing to monetise and exploit pictures and videos of children on Facebook,’ Senator Shoebridge added.
The government is expected to announce reforms to the Privacy Act, which a 2020 review found to be outdated.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus indicated earlier this year that new legislation would be announced, but the details and timing remain uncertain.
As concerns grow over the lack of opt-out options for users' data on social media platforms, the issue extends to more personal realms.
Recent revelations about Facebook's data practices have highlighted a significant privacy gap, where users’ photos and information are being used without consent to train AI models.
This raises alarm bells for parents, who might find their children’s images being used in ways they never agreed to.
The implications of these practices are far-reaching, emphasising the urgent need for clearer privacy protections and consent mechanisms.
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