Meta to use EU user content for AI training as opt-out period ends
Meta can now use public Facebook and Instagram posts from adult users in Germany and across the EU to train its AI, after the opt-out deadline passed on Tuesday. A German court upheld the move, ruling that Meta’s data use serves a legitimate purpose under EU law.
- Tech
- DPA
- Published Date: 08:56 | 27 May 2025
US tech giant Meta can use Facebook and Instagram posts from German and other EU users to train its artificial intelligence (AI) software Meta AI, after the deadline for users to opt out expired on Tuesday.
The company plans to analyze all public content shared by adult users across the EU to improve its AI models, unless users have actively objected.
A German court on Friday dismissed a complaint by the consumer protection agency in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which accused Meta of violating EU data protection rules.
The court found that Meta's data use serves a legitimate purpose that cannot be achieved by less intrusive methods and noted that the company had pledged to filter out sensitive data such as names, phone numbers and account details.
WhatsApp chats remain excluded due to encryption, but conversations with Meta's AI assistant are considered public and may also be used for training.