Tuesday, October 21, 2025

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Facebook Now Feeds AI with Private, Unpublished Photos

Meta (Facebook’s parent company) is testing a new “cloud processing” feature that allows users to opt in to upload unpublished photos from their device so Facebook can analyze them and generate AI-driven suggestions like collages or themed memories. While Meta insists it isn’t currently training its AI on these photos, its terms still allow it to retain and potentially use the data—including facial details, objects, and timestamps—in the future


How It Works

  • When users try to post a Story, they see an option to opt into cloud processing, enabling regular uploads of private camera-roll photos to Facebook’s servers
  • Meta states these uploads may be used only for generating personal suggestions, not for AI training—though the terms grant Meta rights to the media and metadata, without strict limitations

Why Privacy Advocates Are Concerned

  • The power to “retain and use” these private photos is broad and unclear, with no explicit prohibition on future AI model training
  • Even if current usage is limited, Meta could update policies later to include unpublished photos as training data.
  • Critics worry this marks a major shift beyond using only public content, opening the door to deeper privacy invasions

Users React: Reddit Speaks Out

Reddit users have voiced skepticism about Meta’s reassurances:

These voices echo growing concerns that Meta’s permission layers may be too broad and misleading.


Comparison: Meta vs. Google Photos

Google provides clearer assurances: if you opt in to its Gemini features, your photos help suggestions—but are not used to train its underlying AI models. Meta’s stance, however, remains vague, and its terms grant continued future use


What You Can Do

  • Don’t opt in to cloud processing if you value privacy.
  • Regularly audit app permissions and settings.
  • Prefer privacy-first AI features, such as Google’s, which clarify limits on data use.
  • Consider turning your social media accounts private, especially in regions like the U.S. where content is used unless otherwise restricted theverge

Why This Matters

Meta has historically relied on public Facebook and Instagram posts (from 2007 onward) to train its AI. This new feature, although opt-in, introduces a significant leap: Meta is pushing into private camera storage, which raises red flags about possible deep surveillance and future privacy erosion.

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