Change This Setting to Prevent Meta From Using Your Facebook Photos to Train Its AI
Meta encourages users to give them permanent access to photos from their camera roll, including media they haven’t specifically uploaded to Facebook, to receive AI-edited and curated images, as well as suggestions for “creative ideas.”
As TechCrunch reports , Meta is currently testing a feature that is causing some Facebook users to see a pop-up asking for permission to “cloud-powered processing.” The message appears when users try to create a new Facebook story, and if they agree, Meta will allow media from your device to be uploaded to its servers “on an ongoing basis” to suggest collages, summaries, or AI-powered redesigns.
As we’ve written about, Meta AI is one of the worst options when it comes to privacy and security. (Meta in general has a questionable history of protecting user data.) If you give Meta access to your camera roll to process images, you agree to Meta AI’s terms, which include the right to analyze your media and facial features, and to “retain and use” the personal information you’ve shared.
While Facebook has stated that this feature is a test, the ability to grant Meta access to your photos doesn’t seem to be anything new. You can enable it in Facebook’s settings, as it’s off by default, but you probably shouldn’t, and you should dismiss the pop-up message if you don’t want to give Meta more data.
How to Manage Meta AI Photo Permissions
If you see a pop-up on Facebook, you can tap Don’t Allow to block the AI Suggestions feature from accessing your camera roll. You can make sure it’s turned off in the Facebook app settings: go to the menu by tapping your profile photo, then the Settings icon. Scroll down to Camera Roll Suggestions and make sure the Get creative ideas by allowing your camera roll to be processed in the cloud setting is turned off.
You should also take this opportunity to check which apps have access to your photo library and revoke any permissions that aren’t absolutely necessary for the app’s core functionality. While these permissions may be mostly harmless, there are malicious campaigns that target sensitive information found in your photos and screenshots.