Australia weighs privacy law overhaul amid Meta photo scraping dispute
By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)
This report was created with support from enhanced software.
Australia is weighing how to best regulate artificial intelligence with lawmakers considering an overhaul of privacy laws following the revelations about Meta’s data collection practices. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, admitted to using public data from millions of Australian users without permission to train its AI models.
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this dataBias Distribution
Left
Meta AI: Australian users can’t opt out of data retention, company admits
Click to see story on Sydney Morning HeraldFacebook admits to scraping every Australian adult user’s public photos and posts to train AI, with no opt-out option
Click to see story on ABC AustraliaMeta defends taking Australian user data to train AI tools
Click to see story on SBS NewsMeta scraped every Australian user’s account to train its AI
Click to see story on EngadgetRight
Untracked Bias
Meta admits scraping Aussie data to train AI tools
Click to see story on Otago Daily TimesMeta admits it scraped all Australian Facebook posts since 2007 to train its AI – Nigeria News Update
Click to see story on Tech RadarPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on Newcastle HeraldMeta admits to scraping every Australian adult Facebook user’s public data to train AI, with no opt-out option as it is not required to do so under privacy law
Click to see story on TechmemeFacebook posts from as far back as 2007 being used to train Meta AI
Click to see story on The Canberra TimesMeta Admits To Using Public Posts, Photos Of Australians For AI Training Since 2007
Click to see story on IBTimes AustraliaPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on The StandardPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on The CourierMeta scraped all public Facebook and Instagram posts since 2007
Click to see story on 9 to 5 MacFacebook likely used every Ghanaian adult’s posts and photos to train AI, with no opt
Click to see story on 3newsMeta admits to using Australian users’ data for AI training
Click to see story on NewsBytesFacebook Admits Data Scraping Australian Accounts
Click to see story on Mirage NewsFacebook admits to scraping every Australian adult user’s public data to train AI, with no opt-out option because it is not required to do so under privacy law
Click to see story on BizTocMeta confirms it scrapes Australian users’ posts for AI training without opt-out option – SiliconANGLE
Click to see story on SiliconANGLEData from basically every Australian belongs to Meta
Click to see story on Android HeadlinesTop Dating Apps Powered by AI
Click to see story on Analytics InsightMeta admits scraping Australian users’ posts to train AI
Click to see story on InnovationAusPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on The Southern Highland NewsMeta admits to having taken Australians’ Facebook posts for the past 17 years to train AI models – Digigeenius
Click to see story on GeeniusAustralian National Review – Meta Probed for Collecting Australians’ Public Data Since 2007 to Train AI Model
Click to see story on Australian National ReviewMeta Used Your Social Media Posts To Train Its AI
Click to see story on GearriceTo fuel its AI, Australian user data on Facebook and Instagram has been used by Meta since 2007
Click to see story on N DigitalMeta has used all Instagram posts to train its AI
Click to see story on دیجیاتوMeta admits to using users’ data in Australia to train AI
Click to see story on CryptopolitanMeta admits to collecting Australians’ data
Click to see story on adnews.com.auFacebook, Instagram admit they’ve been stealing Aussie content to ‘train AI tools’ – InQueensland
Click to see story on InQueenslandMeta Scraped Australian Data for AI, No Opt-Out Available
Click to see story on thetechbasic.comMeta admits to scraping Australian user data for training AI without an opt-out option – The Tech Portal
Click to see story on The Tech PortalMeta Uses Australian User Content for AI Development
Click to see story on elblog.plMeta scraped all public Facebook and Instagram posts since 2007 for AI training
Click to see story on machash.comFacebook admits to data scraping Australian accounts, despite previous denials
Click to see story on rmit.edu.auPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on westernadvocate.com.auMeta collected data from its Australian users to train its AI tools – Usine Digitale
Click to see story on usine-digitale.frMeta Confirms It’s Using Data from Adults Users in Australia for AI Training
Click to see story on thurrott.comMeta ‘admits scraping public data of Australians,’ without any option to opt-out
Click to see story on ReadWritePrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on northweststar.com.auMeta grilled over Facebook training AI on Australians’ posts
Click to see story on Gadget Guy AustraliaFacebook admits to scraping every Australian adult user’s public data
Click to see story on yourlifechoices.com.auMeta’s AI Scrapes Data From Millions of Australian Users—With No Opt-Out Option
Click to see story on WebProNewsMeta grilled over Australian posts used to train AI
Click to see story on acs.org.auMeta has admitted to using user photos to train AI
Click to see story on gagadget.comPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on armidaleexpress.com.auFacebook Says it Trains AI on Every User in Australia
Click to see story on techopedia.comMeta admits it’s scraping all data from Australian adults to train AI
Click to see story on htxt.africaMeta under fire for scraping Australian data for AI development without opt-out option
Click to see story on cyberdaily.auThe admission includes nearly two decades’ worth of posts, photos, and status updates. During an Australian Senate inquiry, Meta’s Global Privacy Director Melinda Claybaugh confirmed the tech company’s extensive data harvesting practices and defended using “public data” from its platforms.
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Labor Sen. Tony Sheldon voiced concerns over this practice, questioning Claybaugh on if the company had used posts dating back to 2007. She answered “we have not done that,” but the answer was quickly questioned by Greens Sen. David Shoebridge.
Shoebridge stated that unless posts were set to “private” since 2007, they have been scraped. Claybaugh answered that the statement was correct.
The ethics of using data from as far back as 2007 for AI training without explicit user consent was also questioned at the inquiry, especially when it comes to users who are underaged.
Meta claims it excluded data from users under the age of 18 and those who marked their posts as “private” but admitted it does not offer an opt-out option like it does for users in the EU.
The company also did not directly address whether images of children shared by adult accounts are included in its data scraping.
A recent investigation by Human Rights Watch revealed that hundreds of photos of Australian children, some as young as three years old, were included in a widely used AI training dataset.
This discovery has amplified calls in Australia for stronger legal protections to safeguard children’s data from potential misuse in AI technology.
Lauren Taylor
AUSTRALIA IS WEIGHING HOW TO BEST REGULATE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE — WITH LAWMAKERS CONSIDERING AN OVERHAUL OF PRIVACY LAWS FOLLOWING THE REVELATIONS ABOUT META’S DATA COLLECTION PRACTICES.
META, FACEBOOK’S PARENT COMPANY, ADMITTED TO USING PUBLIC DATA FROM MILLIONS OF AUSTRALIAN USERS without permission TO TRAIN ITS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) MODELS.
THE ADMISSION INCLUDES NEARLY TWO DECADES’ WORTH OF POSTS, PHOTOS, AND STATUS UPDATES.
DURING AN AUSTRALIAN SENATE INQUIRY, META’S GLOBAL PRIVACY DIRECTOR CONFIRMED THE TECH COMPANY’S EXTENSIVE DATA HARVESTING PRACTICES AND DEFENDED USING ‘PUBLIC DATA’ FROM ITS PLATFORMS.
LABOR SENATOR TONY SHELDON VOICED CONCERNS OVER THIS PRACTICE, QUESTIONING THE ETHICS OF USING DATA FROM AS FAR BACK AS 2007 FOR AI TRAINING WITHOUT EXPLICIT USER CONSENT.
META CLAIMS IT EXCLUDED DATA FROM USERS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 AND THOSE WHO MARKED THEIR POSTS AS ‘PRIVATE’ but admitted it does not offer an opt-out option like it does for users in the E-U.
The company also DID NOT DIRECTLY ADDRESS WHETHER IMAGES OF CHILDREN SHARED BY ADULT ACCOUNTS ARE INCLUDED IN THEIR DATA SCRAPING.
A RECENT INVESTIGATION BY HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REVEALED THAT HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS OF AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN, SOME AS YOUNG AS THREE YEARS OLD, WERE INCLUDED IN A WIDELY USED AI TRAINING DATASET.
THIS DISCOVERY HAS AMPLIFIED CALLS in Australia FOR STRONGER LEGAL PROTECTIONS TO SAFEGUARD CHILDREN’S DATA FROM POTENTIAL MISUSE IN AI TECHNOLOGY.
FOR SAN, I’M LT
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this dataBias Distribution
Left
Meta AI: Australian users can’t opt out of data retention, company admits
Click to see story on Sydney Morning HeraldFacebook admits to scraping every Australian adult user’s public photos and posts to train AI, with no opt-out option
Click to see story on ABC AustraliaMeta defends taking Australian user data to train AI tools
Click to see story on SBS NewsMeta scraped every Australian user’s account to train its AI
Click to see story on EngadgetRight
Untracked Bias
Meta admits scraping Aussie data to train AI tools
Click to see story on Otago Daily TimesMeta admits it scraped all Australian Facebook posts since 2007 to train its AI – Nigeria News Update
Click to see story on Tech RadarPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on Newcastle HeraldMeta admits to scraping every Australian adult Facebook user’s public data to train AI, with no opt-out option as it is not required to do so under privacy law
Click to see story on TechmemeFacebook posts from as far back as 2007 being used to train Meta AI
Click to see story on The Canberra TimesMeta Admits To Using Public Posts, Photos Of Australians For AI Training Since 2007
Click to see story on IBTimes AustraliaPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on The StandardPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on The CourierMeta scraped all public Facebook and Instagram posts since 2007
Click to see story on 9 to 5 MacFacebook likely used every Ghanaian adult’s posts and photos to train AI, with no opt
Click to see story on 3newsMeta admits to using Australian users’ data for AI training
Click to see story on NewsBytesFacebook Admits Data Scraping Australian Accounts
Click to see story on Mirage NewsFacebook admits to scraping every Australian adult user’s public data to train AI, with no opt-out option because it is not required to do so under privacy law
Click to see story on BizTocMeta confirms it scrapes Australian users’ posts for AI training without opt-out option – SiliconANGLE
Click to see story on SiliconANGLEData from basically every Australian belongs to Meta
Click to see story on Android HeadlinesTop Dating Apps Powered by AI
Click to see story on Analytics InsightMeta admits scraping Australian users’ posts to train AI
Click to see story on InnovationAusPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on The Southern Highland NewsMeta admits to having taken Australians’ Facebook posts for the past 17 years to train AI models – Digigeenius
Click to see story on GeeniusAustralian National Review – Meta Probed for Collecting Australians’ Public Data Since 2007 to Train AI Model
Click to see story on Australian National ReviewMeta Used Your Social Media Posts To Train Its AI
Click to see story on GearriceTo fuel its AI, Australian user data on Facebook and Instagram has been used by Meta since 2007
Click to see story on N DigitalMeta has used all Instagram posts to train its AI
Click to see story on دیجیاتوMeta admits to using users’ data in Australia to train AI
Click to see story on CryptopolitanMeta admits to collecting Australians’ data
Click to see story on adnews.com.auFacebook, Instagram admit they’ve been stealing Aussie content to ‘train AI tools’ – InQueensland
Click to see story on InQueenslandMeta Scraped Australian Data for AI, No Opt-Out Available
Click to see story on thetechbasic.comMeta admits to scraping Australian user data for training AI without an opt-out option – The Tech Portal
Click to see story on The Tech PortalMeta Uses Australian User Content for AI Development
Click to see story on elblog.plMeta scraped all public Facebook and Instagram posts since 2007 for AI training
Click to see story on machash.comFacebook admits to data scraping Australian accounts, despite previous denials
Click to see story on rmit.edu.auPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on westernadvocate.com.auMeta collected data from its Australian users to train its AI tools – Usine Digitale
Click to see story on usine-digitale.frMeta Confirms It’s Using Data from Adults Users in Australia for AI Training
Click to see story on thurrott.comMeta ‘admits scraping public data of Australians,’ without any option to opt-out
Click to see story on ReadWritePrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on northweststar.com.auMeta grilled over Facebook training AI on Australians’ posts
Click to see story on Gadget Guy AustraliaFacebook admits to scraping every Australian adult user’s public data
Click to see story on yourlifechoices.com.auMeta’s AI Scrapes Data From Millions of Australian Users—With No Opt-Out Option
Click to see story on WebProNewsMeta grilled over Australian posts used to train AI
Click to see story on acs.org.auMeta has admitted to using user photos to train AI
Click to see story on gagadget.comPrivacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Click to see story on armidaleexpress.com.auFacebook Says it Trains AI on Every User in Australia
Click to see story on techopedia.comMeta admits it’s scraping all data from Australian adults to train AI
Click to see story on htxt.africaMeta under fire for scraping Australian data for AI development without opt-out option
Click to see story on cyberdaily.auVOTE WITH THE UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.™
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