Meta Forced to Pause its Generative AI Tools Even in Brazil | Facebook app | Meta Facebook Login | Whatsapp Download | Turtles AI
Meta Forced to Pause its Generative AI Tools Even in Brazil
Isabella V
Meta suspends use of generative AI in Brazil: discussion with NPCD underway
Key points:
1. Meta temporarily suspends the use of generative AI in Brazil.
2. Decision made in response to ANPD concerns about data privacy.
3. Brazil, crucial market for Meta with millions of users on Instagram and Facebook.
4. Potential daily fine of R$50,000 if Meta does not comply with ANPD requests.
Meta suspends use of generative AI in Brazil to resolve privacy authority concerns
Meta Platforms has decided to pause the use of its generative AI tools in Brazil, following concerns expressed by Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) over the company’s new policy on personal data privacy.
ANPD Intervention.
The ANPD decided to suspend with immediate effect Meta’s policy that allowed the use of personal data of Brazilian users to train generative AI models. The agency expressed concerns about potential risks to users’ fundamental rights, citing a possible "imminent risk of serious and irreparable harm."
Meta has five business days from the ANPD decision to demonstrate that it has changed its privacy policy to exclude the use of personal information in public posts for generative AI training. If it fails to comply, the company could face a daily fine of R$50,000 (about €8,185).
Crucial market for Meta
Brazil is a significant market for Meta, with more than 102 million users on Facebook and more than 113 million on Instagram. The country is also the second largest user base for the social network WhatsApp, right after India. This strategic importance was underscored by an event hosted by Meta in São Paulo in June, during which the company launched its first AI-driven advertising targeting program for local businesses.
Meta’s response
In a statement, a Meta spokesperson said the company is "disappointed with the decision" of the ANPD, arguing that their approach was in compliance with local privacy laws. "This is a setback for innovation and further delays the positive impact AI can have on people’s lives in Brazil," the spokesperson added.
Brazil’s decision comes just weeks after Meta abandoned a similar project in the United Kingdom and European Union, where it had planned to use user posts to train its AI models
Next steps
As negotiations between Meta and the ANPD continue, the company will need to strike a balance between technological innovation and compliance with local data privacy regulations. Resolution of these issues will be crucial not only for the future of Meta’s operations in Brazil, but also for setting a precedent on how large technology platforms will handle personal data in an increasingly privacy-conscious global environment.
