Meta is testing a new feature on Facebook that allows users to opt into “cloud processing,” which would enable the company to access billions of images from their camera roll, even if they haven’t been uploaded to the platform. The feature is currently being tested and does not yet train Meta’s AI models on these photos.
According to Facebook, opting in gives permission for 30 days worth of unpublished camera roll at a time, but Meta retains some data longer than that. Users can turn off “camera roll cloud processing” in their settings, which removes unpublished photos from the cloud after 30 days.
The feature suggests a new incursion into previously private data, bypassing the point of friction known as conscientiously deciding to post a photo for public consumption. Meta claims it’s an opt-in only and innocuous process, but the lack of clarity on its usage terms has raised concerns about user rights and data retention.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/meta/694685/meta-ai-camera-roll