YOU HAVE 1 DAY left: Here's how to stop Instagram and Facebook their AI training with your data!

Starting Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will begin using public posts, photos and videos of European users to train its AI models. This means that your vacation photos, comments and other public content can be used to develop Meta's artificial intelligence, unless you explicitly object.

What does this mean?

Meta will use data such as your name, profile picture, public posts, photos, videos, comments and interactions with AI features to improve its AI systems. Private messages and data from users under the age of 18 are excluded from this training.

Although Meta states that this data will be anonymized, concerns remain about the level of privacy protection. The Personal Data Authority (AP) stresses that users who do not want their data used should object by Tuesday, May 27.

How do you object?

Via Facebook:

1. Log in to your Facebook account.

2. Go to “Settings and Privacy” > “Privacy Center.

3. At the top is a block of text that starts with 'We are always working on improvements for AI at Meta'. In that text, you can click on the blue words 'Object'.

4. Fill out the form with your e-mail address and indicate that you do not want your data to be used.

5. Submit the form.

Via Instagram:

1. Log in to your Instagram account.

2. Go to your profile and tap the menu (three dashes) at the top right.

3. Select “Settings” > “Privacy Center.

4. At the top is a block of text that starts with 'We are always working on improvements for AI at Meta'. In that text, you can click on the blue words 'Object'.

5. Fill out the form with your e-mail address and indicate that you do not want your data to be used.

6. Submit the form.

After submitting the objection, you will receive a confirmation email. If your Facebook and Instagram accounts are linked, it is sufficient to object on one platform.

Why is objecting important?

Once your data has been used to train AI models, it cannot be easily removed from these systems. Therefore, it is crucial to take action before May 27 if you do not want your public content to be used for AI training.

Too late? You can still try this.

Did you become aware of this change only after May 27 and have not yet filed an objection? Then it is possible that your data has already been used for AI training in the meantime. However, it still pays to object. Meta says that objections can still be filed even after this date, and they will stop future processing of your data.

While your previous data cannot simply be removed from trained models, you can prevent any more of your information from being used. To do so, follow the same steps described above via the Privacy Center on Facebook or Instagram. The sooner you do this, the better!