Meta admitted to collecting public data from adult users in Australia to train AI, but did not provide an opt-out option like in Europe.
During a recent hearing into whether Facebook was collecting data from all Australians to develop its artificial intelligence (AI) tools, Melinda Claybaugh, Meta’s global privacy director, initially denied the allegation.
However, a Facebook representative later admitted that they collect data from public posts by adult users in Australia, while not doing so in Europe.
According to ABC, Ms. Claybaugh also could not answer whether the company collected data from previous years on users who are now adults, but were under 18 when they created their accounts.
Earlier in June, Meta notified users in the European Union (EU) and the US that their data would be used to train AI products, such as Meta AI, unless they opted out. Australian users do not have this option. Ms Claybaugh explained that in the EU, Meta must provide an opt-out option due to strict privacy regulations, while Australian privacy laws have not kept up.
Meta argues that it needs large amounts of data to develop more powerful and safer AI tools that are less biased, but this raises concerns about protecting the privacy of Australian users, especially children.
Meta's global privacy policy director Melinda Claybaugh spoke at the Senate inquiry into the adoption of AI. Source: ABC News: Adam Kennedy. Pressure on the Australian government
The revelation comes as the Australian government considers measures to reform privacy laws.
Senator Shoebridge has called on the government to prioritise updating privacy laws to protect users’ privacy, similar to those in Europe. He said the government’s delay in reform has allowed companies like Meta to continue exploiting users’ personal data unchecked.
The Australian Government is expected to announce significant reforms to the Privacy Act in the coming months, aimed at protecting people's rights as social media platforms continue to expand their reach and impact on everyday life.
