A viral Instagram post, falsely claiming to protect users’ data from being used for AI training, has been shared by thousands – including several high-profile celebrities. But don’t be fooled: reposting this message will do nothing to stop Meta from using your information.
The Viral Instagram Hoax
The post in question, which has been flagged by fact-checkers as misinformation, urges users to repost a message reading “Goodbye Meta AI” to prevent Meta from using their data for artificial intelligence (AI) training. The hoax has spread quickly, and even celebrities like Julianne Moore, Sarah Paulson, James McAvoy, and former NFL player Tom Brady have shared it on their profiles.
The viral message claims that failing to repost will automatically grant Meta permission to use personal data, profile information, and photos for AI training. However, this claim is entirely false. According to Lead Stories, a fact-checking site working with Meta, “posting the viral statement, or any other statement, doesn’t prevent Meta from using that data.”
What Is ‘Copypasta’ and Why Is It Dangerous?
This viral hoax is an example of “copypasta,” a term used to describe text that is copied and pasted across the Internet, often spreading misinformation. These kinds of posts can spread quickly, as users feel compelled to share them to protect themselves or their data – even though they offer no real protection.
Facebook and Instagram have flagged the “Goodbye Meta AI” post as “false information,” alerting users that the claims made in it are misleading.
How Meta Actually Uses Your Data for AI
Meta has confirmed that it does use public content from platforms like Facebook and Instagram to train its AI models. This content includes photos, posts, and other publicly available information. However, private messages are not used for this purpose, and setting your account to private can help limit what information is accessible.
Despite the viral post’s claims, simply sharing or reposting a message on Instagram doesn’t change Meta’s data policies.
What Can You Do to Protect Your Data?
While reposting the viral message won’t help, there are legitimate steps you can take to protect your data – especially if you’re in Europe.
- Set your account to private: By doing this, you can limit who sees your content and reduce the likelihood that Meta will use your public posts for AI training.
- Submit an opt-out form: Users in the European Union (EU) and the UK, protected by strict data laws, have an official way to opt out of having their data used for AI training. Meta has made an opt-out form available through users’ Facebook and Instagram account settings. Once this form is submitted, Meta will honor your objection and exclude your data from future AI model training.
- Review your privacy settings: Regularly updating and reviewing your privacy settings on Facebook and Instagram can give you more control over who can see and interact with your content.
Meta’s Response to the Viral Post
Meta has responded to the viral “Goodbye Meta AI” post, clarifying that reposting the message has no legal effect on the company’s data practices. They have also reassured European users that the company is honoring objections to data use for AI training through the form provided in-app.
“We are honoring all European objections,” Meta said. “If an objection form is submitted before Llama training begins, then that person’s data won’t be used to train those models, either in the current training round or in the future.”
