Meta wants to train its AI using your private photos

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Facebook is testing a new feature that asks for permission to look at all the photos on your phone’s camera roll. 

If you agree, Facebook can automatically suggest AI-edited versions of your photos, like collages, themed recaps, or creative filters, even for photos you haven’t posted on Facebook yet.

When you start creating a Story on Facebook, a pop-up may appear asking if you want to turn on “cloud processing.” 

By saying yes, you let Facebook upload your photos to its servers continuously, where it can analyze details like when or where the photos were taken and who or what is in them. 

Facebook says these suggestions are private and only you can see them until you choose to share them. It also claims it won’t use your photos for advertising. (Via: TechCrunch)

However, agreeing to this feature means you accept Meta’s AI Terms of Service. These terms allow Facebook’s AI to study your photos, including faces and objects, and to keep and use information from them. 

This could include details you provide in prompts or conversations with Meta’s AI tools. 

Meta says this helps create new features, like turning a photo into an anime-style image, summarizing what’s in a picture, or generating new photos based on your originals.

Some Facebook users who found these AI suggestions wondered how to turn them off. 

In Facebook’s Settings, under “Camera roll sharing suggestions,” you can find switches to allow or stop these AI features.

Meta says this feature is just a test to make it easier for people to share content, and only works if you opt in. They’re currently testing it in the US and Canada. 

But since it accesses photos beyond what you’ve publicly shared, it raises privacy concerns, especially as it’s unclear how Meta defines and uses your personal information under its AI terms.

Are you okay with your private photos being used to train AI? Would you trust Meta with it? Tell us below in the comments, or via our Twitter or Facebook.