Brazil’s data protection authority (ANPD) has recently made a decision to ban Meta from training its artificial intelligence models on Brazilian personal data. This decision was made due to the perceived risks of serious damage and difficulty to users. Following an update to Meta’s privacy policy in May, the social media giant granted itself permission to utilize public Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram data from Brazil for AI training purposes.
The report published by Human Rights Watch last month highlighted concerns related to the LAION-5B dataset. This dataset, which is used to train AI models, contains personal and identifiable photos of Brazilian children. The presence of such data raises concerns about the potential exploitation of these individuals, including the creation of deepfakes. ANPD emphasized that the use of such data poses an imminent risk of serious and irreparable damage to the fundamental rights of Brazilian users.
Meta responded to the decision by stating that its updated policy aligns with privacy laws and regulations in Brazil. The company expressed disappointment in the ruling, citing it as a setback for innovation and competition in AI development. Meta also highlighted the delay in bringing the benefits of AI to the people of Brazil. On the other hand, ANPD criticized Meta’s data collection policies, stating that there are excessive and unjustified obstacles in place for users to opt out of having their data used for AI training.
This ban is not an isolated incident for Meta, as the company faced similar pushback from regulators in the EU. As a result, Meta decided to pause its plans to train AI models on European Facebook and Instagram posts. While the updated data collection policies are already in effect in the US, where user privacy protections are more limited compared to other regions, Meta’s approach to data usage continues to face scrutiny and regulatory challenges on a global scale.
The decision by Brazil’s data protection authority to ban Meta from training its AI models on Brazilian personal data reflects the growing concerns surrounding data privacy and protection. This case serves as a reminder of the need for companies to prioritize user rights and adhere to regulatory guidelines to avoid potential risks and legal consequences.
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