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Brussels, May 14 – U.S. tech giant Meta Platforms is facing legal pressure from Austrian privacy advocacy group NOYB over its plan to use personal data of European users to train its artificial intelligence models.
The Vienna-based non-profit, led by privacy activist Max Schrems, issued a cease-and-desist letter to Meta, objecting to its intent to start collecting data from Facebook and Instagram users in Europe starting May 27. NOYB argues that Meta’s reliance on “legitimate interest” under EU privacy laws is not justifiable, especially for AI training.
Why NOYB Is Objecting to Meta's Plan
According to Schrems, the European Court of Justice has already ruled against Meta's use of legitimate interest for targeted advertising. "If Meta can't use that argument to show ads, how can it justify using it for harvesting user data for AI?" Schrems questioned in a statement.
The group believes Meta should ask users for explicit consent (opt-in), instead of requiring them to opt out via a form. They also suggest anonymizing user data to ensure compliance with EU privacy standards.
What Meta Plans to Do
Meta has announced that users will soon receive a form link to object to their data being used for AI development. It also stated that private messages and data from users under 18 will be excluded from AI training.
However, privacy advocates say this approach is unclear and insufficient. NOYB has given Meta until May 21 to respond before it considers legal action.
Legal Consequences: Billions at Stake?
NOYB hinted at the possibility of a collective lawsuit under the EU's Collective Redress Mechanism, which allows users across the bloc to claim damages. Schrems estimated that if even 400 million users claimed just €500 each, Meta could face billions in liabilities.
The organization has also raised concerns about transparency, asking Meta to clearly define what data will be used, how it will be processed, and for what AI features.
What’s Next?
If Meta fails to respond or modify its plans, it could face an injunction and class-action lawsuits. This legal challenge highlights growing tensions between tech giants and EU regulators over the use of personal data in AI systems.
