Facebook AI privacy is facing new scrutiny after Meta introduced a tool asking users to upload personal photos from their phones.
Meta-owned Facebook is now requesting users to upload their photos from their phones to generate story suggestions using artificial intelligence (AI), even for images that haven’t been shared on the platform. This feature is currently optional and opt-in, but privacy experts are raising serious concerns.Facebook’s AI Photo Processing: What’s New?
When creating a Facebook Story, users in the U.S. and Canada are now seeing a pop-up that asks them to enable cloud processing. According to Facebook:
Photos from your camera roll will be selected based on time, location, and themes.
Photos will be uploaded to the cloud regularly.
Photos will not be used for advertising purposes.
However, Meta’s AI terms allow them to analyze media and facial features, which introduces privacy and security risks.
Privacy experts warn that even if Meta does not use these photos for ads:
Data retention periods are unclear.
Third-party access risks remain.
Photos could be included in AI training datasets.
Hidden details (like time, location, and device data) may also be stored.
Cloud processing, facial recognition, and metadata exposure can create long-term privacy risks.
Meta is now using public EU data for AI model training.
Meta suspended AI features in Brazil in July 2024 after privacy objections.
Germany urged Apple and Google to remove Chinese AI apps due to illegal data transfers.
DeepSeek’s apps have been linked to data transfers to China, violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense recently signed a $200 million AI deal with OpenAI to develop national security solutions, highlighting how governments are increasingly integrating AI.
Always read app permissions carefully.
Be cautious when allowing cloud processing.
Avoid uploading sensitive personal photos.
Stay educated with CCIE Academy’s Cybersecurity Training to better protect your digital footprint.
