Advocacy group threatens Meta with injunction over data-use for AI training
NOYB, or none of your business, led by privacy activist Max Schrems, said it had sent a cease and desist letter on Wednesday to Meta, which plans to start using personal data from European users of Instagram and Facebook from May 27.
Meta has cited legitimate interest under EU privacy rules for using users' data to train and develop its generative AI models and other AI tools that can be shared with third parties.
The U.S. tech giant said last month users would receive a link to a form that allows them to object to their data being used for training purposes and that private messages and public data from accounts of users under the age of 18 will not be used.
Schrems criticised Meta's rationale.
'The European Court of Justice has already held that Meta cannot claim a 'legitimate interest' in targeting users with advertising. How should it have a 'legitimate interest' to suck up all data for AI training?' he said in a statement.
'We are currently evaluating our options to file injunctions, but there is also the option for a subsequent class action for non-material damages. If you think about the more than 400 million European Meta users who could all demand damages of just 500 euros or so, you can do the math,' Schrems said.
NOYB said an injunction could be filed under the EU Collective Redress, which enables consumers to pursue collective lawsuits against companies in the bloc. It set a May 21 deadline for Meta to respond.
Meta rejected NOYB's arguments, saying its approach complies with guidance from the European Data Protection Board and follows discussions with the Irish privacy enforcer. 'NOYB's arguments are wrong on the facts and the law,' a Meta spokesperson said.
'We've provided EU users with a clear way to object to their data being used for training AI at Meta, notifying them via email and in-app notifications that they can object at any time.'
NOYB, which last year urged EU privacy enforcers to act, said Meta could give users an option to opt-in rather than opt-out and also provide clear conditions for AI training, such as using anonymised user data, in line with EU privacy rules.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
India reserves right to retaliate if carbon tax hurts our exports: Goyal
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said India will "react and retaliate" if the UK imposes a carbon tax in the future that harms domestic exports. The UK government in December 2023 decided to implement its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), starting in 2027. "As of now, no CBAM, we are a sovereign and a very powerful nation if anybody hurts our exports interest, we will react and hurt and retaliate or rebalance to make sure that our interest is not hurt," he told reporters when asked about the UK's proposed CBAM. "I can assure that no unilateral measure which hurts India can go away without a proportionate response from India," he added. Sources have said India flagged the issue during negotiations of the trade agreement. The comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA) was signed on July 24, with an aim to double bilateral trade by 2030. The issue is not in the pact, as Britain has not yet notified of the tax. Goyal added that the EU has also planned to impose CBAM, but it is going to hurt the European Union more.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
UK deal ‘gold standard' for FTAs; will retaliate if UK CBAM hurts India's interest: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said the India-UK trade deal can serve as a gold standard for India's trade negotiations with other partners, as it opens India's doors for business while protecting sensitive sectors. He added that India will retaliate if the UK's carbon tax, set to come into effect on January 1, 2027, harms India's interests. 'Our effort is that the Indian industry gets preferential access over our competition, and I think this [UK FTA] can become a gold standard to ensure that India protects its sensitive sectors and opens the doors, particularly in highly labour-intensive sectors, and allows high-quality goods, technology and other products to come to India,' the minister said at a press briefing here. Goyal said most of India's free trade agreements (FTAs) are with countries that do not compete with India on anything, and that under the deal, the UK will be sending products which are in short supply in India. 'In every respect, this is an agreement which opens far greater opportunities for India than any other agreement,' the minister said. On concerns that the UK's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) could negate the tariff concessions India has received under the trade deal, Goyal said: 'Currently there is no CBAM in effect. So it cannot be addressed in the FTA. But India is a sovereign country, and if our export interests are hurt, we will react and retaliate, or 'rebalance'. I can assure everyone that no unilateral measure will go away without a proportionate response,' he said. 'There is a lot of opposition to CBAM in the EU as well, as the EU's cost of manufacturing and housing will become costlier, and so the sufferer will be the industry in the EU,' Goyal reiterated. A government official had said that India and the UK have arrived at a diplomatic understanding on CBAM, and that India will 'rebalance' the negative effect of CBAM by taking countermeasures. It has communicated its concern over CBAM in a 'note verbale'. However, the rebalancing measure is not part of the legal text, which has raised concerns over India's ability to address the CBAM issue legally. The Indian Express had reported on May 6 that CBAM was a major point of contention between the two countries and had been holding up the agreement. India had proposed a 'rebalancing mechanism' provision within the deal which would require the UK to compensate Indian industry for losses incurred due to the regulation. The paper reported that the 'rebalancing mechanism' article had been inserted into the 'general exceptions' chapter of the negotiating text between the two countries. This would have enabled India to claim compensation for its losses and ensure the UK does not raise a dispute against India at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). However, the UK likely did not agree to the same. Goyal said India and the UK plan to address the issue of critical minerals together, stating that 'concentration of certain supply chains in certain geographies' is a common problem, and both countries plan to work jointly on this. The India-UK Vision 2035, a document outlining the broader collaborative goals of the free trade agreement between the two, stated that both countries will work together to develop cutting-edge technology and research, building on the Technology Security Initiative. This will focus on future telecoms, artificial intelligence and critical minerals, laying the ground for future collaboration on semiconductors, quantum, biotechnology and advanced materials. To further cooperation in critical minerals, the two countries will also establish a UK-India Critical Minerals Guild to 'transform financing standards and innovation', according to a joint statement by the two. India has protected all sensitive sectors, including dairy, rice and sugar, in the free trade agreement with the UK, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. The pact will help boost exports of labour-intensive products like footwear, textiles, and gems and jewellery, he added. 'We have protected all the sensitive sectors of India… we have not opened those areas for the UK… Zero compromise and extensive benefits make it a phenomenal free trade agreement (FTA),' Goyal said. Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, covering policy issues related to trade, commerce, and banking. He has over five years of experience and has previously worked with Mint, CNBC-TV18, and other news outlets. ... Read More
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Honoured to witness signing of free trade pact between India and UK: Ashish Kumar Chauhan
London: Ashish Kumar Chauhan, MD and CEO of National Stock Exchange (NSE), said on Saturday that it was an honour to witness the signing of Free Trade agreement between India and the UK, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Keir Starmer. 'Honoured and privileged to be a witness to the signing of Free Trade agreement between India and UK on July 24,2025 with Hon'ble PM India and Hon'ble PM Uk at the country residence of UK PM Chequers outside London, UK,' Chauhan said in a post on X social media platform. The landmark India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is an indication of several such trade pacts in the near future under the leadership of PM Modi, he had said earlier on Friday. Speaking to IANS here, Chauhan said that the talks on the India-UK FTA were ongoing for three-four years. 'When talks first began 4–5 years ago, the UK was under a Conservative government. Since then, there have been regime changes but the way both the Conservative and the Labour parties supported finalising the FTA is commendable,' he emphasised. According to Chauhan, the India-UK FTA will pave the way for several such trade pacts with other nations, like the US, the EU and Japan etc, in the near future. India and the EU are aiming to reach an agreement on a free trade deal by the end of 2025. The coming months will be crucial for India's global trade relations, as the government intensifies negotiations with major partners such as the EU and the ASEAN bloc. Meanwhile, talks with the US are also gaining pace. 'The world has seen the tremendous progress India has achieved in the last 11 years under PM Modi, and the FTA will bring a better future for several industries,' said the NSE CEO.
