During an inquiry, Meta’s global privacy director, Melinda Claybaugh, confirmed that the company collects public data from Australian users to train its AI.
This includes photos and posts from platforms like Facebook and Instagram, dating back as far as 2007.
While Meta does not scrape data from accounts of users under 18, Claybaugh admitted that public photos of children shared by parents could be used.
In an increasingly digital world, many of us rely on social media to share our lives with friends and family. But have you ever considered how that data might be used by the platforms themselves? Recent revelations from Facebook’s parent company, Meta, suggest that your public posts and photos could be part of a much bigger picture—one you might not have consented to.
During an inquiry, Meta’s global privacy director, Melinda Claybaugh, confirmed that the company collects public data from Australian users to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models. This includes photos and posts from platforms like Facebook and Instagram, dating back as far as 2007. Shockingly, there’s no way for Australians to opt out of this data collection, even though users in the European Union are given that option.
Also read: Meta AI manifesto: The AI-assisted resurrection of Mark Zuckerberg
The issue came to light when Labor senator Tony Sheldon asked if Meta had been using Australian posts from as early as 2007 to feed its AI tools. While Claybaugh initially denied it, her claim was quickly challenged by Greens senator David Shoebridge, according to ABC News. He pointed out that unless users had actively set their posts to private, Meta had indeed been scraping their data for its AI models. “That’s the reality, isn’t it?” Senator Shoebridge asked. Claybaugh simply replied, “Correct.”
While Meta does not scrape data from accounts of users under 18, Claybaugh admitted that public photos of children shared by parents, such as Senator Sheldon’s own, could be used.
This data-scraping practice has raised concerns, particularly since Meta allows European users to opt out due to strict privacy laws. However, Australians don’t have the same option. Claybaugh explained that Meta’s decision to offer opt-out in Europe was driven by legal uncertainty, noting that Australia lacks similar privacy regulations.
Also read: Meta faces backlash: 11 complaints filed over personal data usage for AI training
Senator Shoebridge emphasised the need for stronger privacy protections in Australia, saying, “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.”
The government is due to reveal long-anticipated reforms to the Privacy Act, following a 2020 review that deemed the current laws outdated. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus previously stated that the new legislation would be introduced in August.
Follow Us
Ayushi Jain
Tech news writer by day, BGMI player by night. Combining my passion for tech and gaming to bring you the latest in both worlds. View Full Profile
