April 14 - Meta (META, Financial) has received regulatory approval in Europe to train its artificial intelligence models using public posts from adult users across Facebook and Instagram.
The European Data Protection Board gave Meta the green light after a months-long delay triggered by privacy complaints filed in 11 countries. The Irish Data Protection Commission previously stepped in last year, pausing Meta's AI rollout in the region.
Starting April 14, the company will begin processing publicly shared European content, ranging from memes to comment threads, to improve the cultural and linguistic understanding of its generative AI tools. Content from minors and private messages remains off-limits. Users can opt out through in-app settings or email.
Meta said it needs access to diverse online expression to reflect Europe's linguistic and cultural nuances. The company pointed out it is following precedents set by firms like Google (GOOG, Financial) and OpenAI.
While the EU approval marks a regulatory win for Meta, legal challenges persist elsewhere. In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission is pushing an antitrust case that could eventually lead to the separation of key platforms like Instagram or WhatsApp.
