Latest news with #NOYB
Euronews
26-06-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Swipe right - but watch your data: Dating app hit with data complaint
Dating platform Bumble has been hit with a privacy complaint filed by advocacy group NOYB over its AI feature designed to help users start a conversation. According to NOYB, the so-called AI Icebreakers feature on Bumble for Friends uses personal profile information without consent in breach of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The feature, introduced in December 2023, is powered by OpenAI and it allows the app to access people's personal profile data in order to AI-generate an opening message based on the information people have shared on the platform, NOYB said. 'Bumble forces its AI features on millions of European users without ever asking them for their consent. Instead, their personal data is being sent to OpenAI and fed into the company's AI systems,' said Lisa Steinfeld, a data protection lawyer at NOYB. The complaint has been filed with the Austrian data protection authority. AI tools AI tools have come under scrutiny in recent months from data protection authorities across Europe. For example, Meta has been asked to improve to its artificial intelligence tool MetaAI following concerns from the Irish Data Protection Authority over the use of public data from Facebook and Instagram accounts used to train its Large Language Models (LLMs). The company remains under scrutiny and needs to report back to the Irish Data Protection Authority (DPA) in October, the regulator said in a statement. It is estimated that some 50 million people globally use the dating app Bumble. While the app doesn't provide specific user numbers for Europe, Germany alone accounted for 1.45 million users in 2024. Other dating apps, including Grindr have also faced privacy complaints and fines due to their data sharing practices, in particular with third-party advertising companies. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority imposed a fine of NOK 65 million (approximately €5.8 million) on Grindr for these violations.
Forbes
20-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
WhatsApp Adverts Have Arrived—Is It Time To Switch To Signal?
What's going on with ads in WhatsApp, what does it mean for your privacy and should you switch to ... More Signal instead? dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images 'No ads, no games, no gimmicks.' This was the ethos of WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum. Yet 11 years after its acquisition by Meta, WhatsApp is finally doing what it said it'd never do — adverts inside the app. The new move by WhatsApp's owner Meta has been criticised by NOYB – European Center for Digital Rights, a non-profit organization based in Vienna. 'This further integrates WhatsApp into other Meta services — an originally independent app, which initially was available for just $1 per year without ads or data usage,' the organization said. WhatsApp has already been under fire for its blue circle AI, something users did not want or ask for. So what's going on with ads in WhatsApp, what does it mean for your privacy and should you switch to Signal instead? I Thought WhatsApp Promised No Ads? WhatsApp did promise no ads, but the Meta-owned app offers its services for free, which is why it has decided to start showing some limited advertising in certain sections. And the ads in WhatsApp won't appear in your messages or chats. Instead of appearing in the Chats tab, they will appear in a section at the bottom of the messaging app in a new section called 'Updates.' Businesses can promote ads in this space in a bid to gain followers for their channels or subscriber content. They can also advertise via a status update that looks similar to an Instagram story, according to the BBC. WhatsApp owner Meta has been advertising the privacy credentials of its messaging platform, and it reiterates this on a page explaining its ads decision. Using Meta ad preferences to show ads on WhatsApp is completely optional and off by default, it says. If users don't add their WhatsApp account to Account Center, Meta is using limited information to show ads on the Updates tab. That includes info like your country or city, language, the Channels you're following, and how you interact with the ads you see — which all comes from WhatsApp. However, if you link your WhatsApp account to facebook or Instagram, the ads are personalized using your data. WhatsApp owner Meta says it doesn't use the content of your personal messages, calls, and status, location shared in chats, your device contacts or your membership in groups with friends and family to show you ads. It does not sell or share your phone number with advertisers. Meanwhile, it stresses that it does not keep logs of who everyone is messaging, and your personal messages, calls and status remain end-to-end encrypted, the gold standard of security that ensures no one can see your messages, including WhatsApp. WhatsApp says it has 'no plans' to put ads in people's personal chats. What Do WhatsApp Ads Mean For Privacy? Meta is not known for its privacy credentials. After all, it runs Facebook, which is free but involves you sharing a lot of data. 'If you're not paying for the product, you are the product,' says Alan Jones, CEO, YEO Messaging, which is a competitor of WhatsApp . He says the new WhatsApp advertising model will 'use behaviour, language, location and channel-following data to deliver targeted ads.' Meta claims personal chats will remain ad-free, but that's a 'red herring,' Jones says. 'The real value lies in the metadata — what users read, follow, or click.' Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET, says WhatsApp's new move looks fine on the surface, but users should be cautious all the same. 'The ads look set to be neatly confined and encrypted chats will stay untouched, plus user experience looks set to remain unaffected for most.' However, he questions: 'How exactly will the limited data targeting look like in practice? 'And could we see gradual expansion of those data sources?' Moore asks. 'We know that micro targeted advertising is where the money really is.' With this in mind, Moore advises WhatsApp users to 'keep an eye on consent settings and as they change or update in the future.' While WhatsApp claims the new ads will be minimal and focused on just one tab, it raises several privacy concerns, according to ad blocking app AdGuard. 'Specifically, the potential for increased data collection and tracking, combined with the lack of any opt-out option, could significantly impact user privacy.' While WhatsApp assures users that it won't target ads based on private messages, calls, or group activity, if you've integrated WhatsApp with Meta's Accounts Center (e.g., by linking it to Facebook or Instagram), the company can use your ad preferences and behavior across its entire ecosystem to deliver more targeted ads, Adguard warns. WhatsApp Ads — Should You Switch To Signal? Meta's move to add ads in WhatsApp is certainly a concern for privacy-conscious users, mainly because of the precedent it could set for the future. WhatsApp says it won't ever use your chats for adverts, but remember, it is owned by a firm whose business model is based on advertising. Privacy-focused messaging app Signal is a viable alternative — it is also end-to-end encrypted, just not owned by Meta. However, it doesn't have WhatsApp's 1.5 billion user share. I use Signal as much as possible, but many of my contacts aren't signed up. If you're in a similar position, then for now, it might make sense to use it for your most private chats and for general messaging, stick to WhatsApp.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta Platforms (META) Faces EU Legal Threat Over AI Data Use
We recently published a list of . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) stands against other AI stocks on Wall Street's radar. Days after the Biden-era rule on AI chips export was rescinded, a bipartisan group of eight U.S. lawmakers has now introduced a bill requiring makers of artificial intelligence chips to include technology that verifies the location of their chips before exporting them. Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Chip Security Act will aim to address reports of U.S. export-controlled AI chips being smuggled into China. The bill comes shortly after US President Donald Trump began his tour of the Middle East this week, announcing several deals that will send AI chips to countries in the Middle East. This has been despite growing opposition from some inside the US government. READ NEXT: and 'In order for the United States to maintain our technological advantage, we must employ safeguards to help ensure export controls are not being circumvented, allowing these advanced AI chips to fall into the hands of nefarious actors.' For this article, we selected AI stocks by going through news articles, stock analysis, and press releases. These stocks are also popular among hedge funds. The hedge fund data is as of Q4 2024. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (). A team of developers working in unison to create the company's messaging Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is a global technology company. On May 14, Austrian advocacy group NOYB said it will seek an injunction against Meta Platforms. The said injunction may lead to substantial claims if the tech giant goes ahead with its plans to use Europeans' personal data to train its AI models. NOYB, or none of your business, is led by privacy activist Max Schrems. Meta plans to start using personal data from European users of Instagram and Facebook from May 27, citing legitimate interest under EU privacy rules for using users' data. The said data will be used to train and develop its generative AI models as well as other AI tools that can be shared with third parties. The company has said that users will receive a link to a form that will allow them to object to their data being used for training purposes. It also said that private messages and public data from accounts of users under the age of 18 will not be used. '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? 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.' NOYB said that it can use an EU rule filed under the EU Collective Redress, enabling consumers to pursue collective lawsuits against companies in the bloc. It set a May 21 deadline for Meta to respond. 'NOYB's arguments are wrong on the facts and the law. 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.' Overall, META ranks 1st on our list of AI stocks on Wall Street's radar. While we acknowledge the potential of META as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than META and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at . Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Meta threatened with injunction over data-use for AI training
Austrian advocacy group NOYB will seek an injunction against Meta Platforms, it said on Wednesday, that could lead to substantial claims if the tech giant goes ahead with plans to use Europeans' personal data to train its AI models. 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.
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Advocacy group threatens Meta with injunction over data-use for AI training
Austrian advocacy group NOYB will seek an injunction against Meta Platforms, it said on Wednesday, that could lead to substantial claims if the tech giant goes ahead with plans to use Europeans' personal data to train its AI models. 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.
