The popular social network has started offering users a new feature that allows Meta’s artificial intelligence to access photos on your phone, even those that have never been uploaded to the social network. The company assures that the images will not be used for advertising, but by agreeing, you are giving permission to process faces, objects and metadata.
The popular social network has started offering users a new feature that allows Meta’s artificial intelligence to access photos on your phone, even those that have never been uploaded to the social network. The company assures that the images will not be used for advertising, but by agreeing, you are giving permission to process faces, objects and metadata.
When creating a new Story on Facebook, some users see a window that offers to activate «cloud processing» of photos stored in the smartphone camera. If you agree, Facebook receives permission to continuously upload these photos to the company’s servers to generate AI content, including collages, themes, and stylizations. As TechCrunch reports, the feature is still in testing and is available in the US and Canada.
Meta emphasizes that only users have access to the generated photos until they decide to share them. However, by confirming access, people automatically agree to Meta AI’s terms of use, which allow for the analysis of faces and objects in the photos. The company also reserves the right to store and use some personal information to personalize content.
Although camera photos are not used to train AI models, they can still be used to improve recommendation features. The feature is controlled via Settings → Post Settings → Camera Photo Suggestions, where two toggles are available, for recommendations and cloud processing.
So far, the response from users has been limited. Reddit has already seen posts complaining about the automatic processing of old photos and their transformation into anime styles. Some members of anti-Shi groups have asked for advice on how to disable the feature.
Meta is actively integrating AI into its products, including Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Starting in June 2024, Meta AI’s new terms of service will allow for the processing of public posts and comments. However, the new feature goes beyond public content and involves personal files from devices, raising questions about privacy and control over one’s data.
We would like to remind you that we also published an article about the State Special Communications Service, which warns Ukrainians about a fraudulent scheme — letters are being sent to email addresses on behalf of Facebook support. In this way, scammers want to lure users into providing their login details.
