Meta Delays Launch of AI Assistant in Europe
Meta has announced that it will postpone the launch and training of its AI assistant in Europe after the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) requested the delay.
According to a June 10 statement, the regulator asked Meta to pause large language model (LLM) training involving public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram.
The Irish DPC serves as Meta’s primary privacy regulator in the EU and made the request on behalf of the European Data Protection Authorities (DPAs).
Meta expressed concerns that without local information, users in Europe would receive a subpar experience, leading to the current delay in the launch of Meta AI in the region.
“This means we aren’t able to launch Meta AI in Europe at the moment.”
Meta expressed disappointment in the request, calling it a setback for AI competition and innovation in the EU. However, the company emphasized its commitment to complying with European regulations.
The Irish DPC supported the decision to pause training and stated that it will continue collaborating with Meta following earlier engagements.
NOYB, a European privacy non-profit, revealed that complaints from various organizations and DPAs led to the request for Meta to halt its AI activities in Europe.
Situation Strained Over Several Months
Meta disclosed on June 14 that it had been informing European DPAs about its activities since March. However, the situation escalated after Meta notified users of its AI training through billions of in-app notifications and emails on May 22.
NOYB lodged complaints with 11 DPAs on June 6, prompting Meta to engage with the Irish DPC and adjust its AI training processes to align with regulations by June 10.
Meta highlighted that companies like Google and OpenAI already use AI for user data training, and it aims to adhere to EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws under the legal basis of “Legitimate Interest.”
