Meta Agrees to Scrape Australian User Data for AI

During a Senate inquiry in Australia, Meta's global privacy policy director, Melinda Claybaugh, confirmed that the company has been collecting public posts from Australian users since 2007 to train its AI models. Unlike users in Europe, who can opt out of this data collection due to stricter privacy laws, Australians currently have no such option. Senators criticized Meta for potentially misusing data, emphasizing that many users are unaware of how their public posts, including those featuring children, can be used. Claybaugh stated that no data from users under 18 is directly used, but images of children posted by adults may be included. The inquiry has raised concerns about the implications of AI technologies in various sectors, advocating for stricter regulations. As Meta continues to develop AI tools, it faces mounting scrutiny regarding user privacy and data protection.