Be aware: Do you know your phone's gallery images are being use to train AI by Meta AI?

Meta is in the news again for privacy scandals. Till now, we were certain Meta is using our publicly shared information, e.g., pictures posted on Facebook and Instagram, to train its artificial intelligence model (Meta AI), but the concern is now escalated. According to the latest news outlets, Meta is now requesting full access to your camera roll of the phone, i.e., even the photos of yours that you never even posted on Facebook or Instagram.

According to a TechCrunch report, recently, some Facebook users saw a pop-up asking them to turn on a new feature, "Cloud Processing". At first glance, this feature seems quite beneficial. Facebook says that this will allow it to automatically scan the photos in your camera roll and regularly upload them to Meta's cloud. In return, users will get creative features such as photo collages, event recaps, AI-generated filters, and themed suggestions for occasions like birthdays or graduations.

When you turn on this feature, you allow Meta to analyze even the non-shared private photos on your phone. Meta AI scans the faces, objects, location, date, and other metadata present in these photos. Its purpose is to make its AI model smarter. Meta says that this is an Opt-In feature, that is, it will not turn on without the user's consent, but if we look at Facebook's past record, it becomes difficult to trust people's privacy.