San Francisco Frontiers - German court says Meta can use user data to train AI

The higher regional court in Cologne concluded Meta, which owns both social media platforms, had not violated European Union law.

"Meta is pursuing a legitimate end by using the data to train artificial intelligence systems," the court said in a statement.

Feeding user data into AI training systems was allowed "even without the consent of those affected", it added.

Meta has announced plans to begin training AI models with data from Facebook and Instagram from Tuesday.

The court said the balance of interests between the parties was in favour of allowing Meta to process user data to develop AI.

The training of AI systems "cannot be achieved by other equally effective, less intrusive means", the court said.

Among the reasons cited by judges was Facebook's intention to only use publicly available data that could also be found via search.

Meta had also "taken effective measures to significantly mitigate the impact" on users, the court said, including communicating the plans via its mobile apps.

The North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Centre, which brought the case, said it still found the use of user data "highly problematic".

"There are still considerable doubts about the legality," the organisation's chief, Wolfgang Schuldzinski, said in a statement.

The Vienna-based privacy campaign group Noyb said last week it had sent a cease-and-desist letter to Meta over the plans to use user data for AI training.

The letter was the first step ahead of a possible injunction request or class-action lawsuit against Meta, the group said.

E.Walker--SFF