(Rio de Janeiro) In Brazil, a regulatory body has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to suspend the use of personal data of users of its platforms to train artificial intelligence models, a decision described as a “step backwards” by the American giant.
The decision was announced by the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), which warned that Meta would be fined 50,000 reais (around 8,200 euros) per day if it did not comply with this “preventive measure.”
Brazil is a major market for the company: in Latin America’s largest country, some 109 million people have an active account on Facebook and 113 million on Instagram, according to market research firm Statista.
The ANPD demands “the immediate suspension in Brazil” of aspects of “the company’s new privacy policy regarding the use of personal data for training generative AI systems,” according to a text published Tuesday in the Official Journal.
The Brazilian regulator considers that the new terms of Meta’s privacy policy, which came into effect on June 26, present an “imminent risk of serious and irreparable or difficult to repair damage to the fundamental rights” of users of its platforms.
He also criticised the lack of “adequate” information on the “possible consequences” of using personal data to develop AI.
“We are disappointed by the decision” of the Brazilian authorities, a spokesperson for Meta said in a statement sent to AFP.
Arguing that it is not the only one to have implemented such practices, the American company assures that it is “more transparent than many other players in this sector who have used public content to train their models and their products.”
“This is a setback for innovation and competitiveness in AI development, and it delays the arrival of the benefits of AI for (users) in Brazil,” Meta added.
Meta’s use of personal data to train AI models has already drawn strong criticism in other countries.
In mid-June, the American giant decided to suspend the implementation of its new privacy policy in the European Union, after being the target of complaints in 11 European countries.