Meta to Use EU User Data to Train AI Models

Meta Platforms has announced it will soon begin using data from users in the European Union to train its artificial intelligence models.

The data will include public posts, comments, and interactions with Meta AI in Facebook and Instagram apps (both owned by Meta). Private messages and conversations between friends and family will not be included. Only data from users aged 18 and above will be used. EU users will begin receiving notifications this week, giving them the option to opt out of the process.

Meta had previously attempted to use European user data for AI training last year, but regulators halted the effort. This time, the company says it’s complying with privacy requirements and offering opt-out options.

According to Meta, including European user data will improve the models’ ability to reflect regional context—especially important for developing multimodal AI systems that generate not only text but also images and video. The goal is to increase the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated content.

Meta has already started training its models on user data from the UK. However, experts believe the volume of usable data will likely be smaller now. In 2024, Meta admitted it had used all public text posts and photos shared by Facebook users since 2007 for training purposes.