Meta announced on 13 September 2024 that it would resume plans to use public content from adult Facebook and Instagram users in the UK to develop and improve its generative-AI systems. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said Meta had changed its objection process but explicitly said it had not approved the processing. Meta’s current UK privacy information, which records relevant changes taking effect on 27 May 2025, says eligible users can object through its privacy-rights tools.
What happened, and when?
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 2024 | Meta paused its UK plan after concerns and requests from the ICO about transparency, safeguards and the objection process. ICO statement |
| 13 September 2024 | Meta announced that it would resume training with public content from adult UK Facebook and Instagram users, saying training would begin over the following months. Meta announcement |
| 27 May 2025 | Meta’s current UK generative-AI privacy page says its relevant policy changes took effect. Check the live page for the terms and controls that apply to your account. Meta AI privacy page |
The September 2024 announcement is therefore a historical restart, not a new 2026 breaking-news event.
What information is covered?
Meta described the UK plan as using public material shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram to train and improve generative-AI models and AI-at-Meta features. Categories it identified include:
- Posts and comments set to public
- Public photos and their captions
- Content on Facebook Pages
- Posts and comments in public Facebook groups
- Public profile details such as a name, username or profile picture
- Other public activity, such as ratings or reviews, where covered by Meta’s stated categories
“Public” depends on the audience setting and context. Meta says public information can be seen by anyone, including people outside Facebook; posts or comments on Pages and public groups are public. A private profile does not make a comment on somebody else’s public post private. See Meta’s explanation of public information.
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- Build relationships at work and home. Messenger and WhatsApp put you just one tap away from friends and family—even if they don’t have a Meta Portal.
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Are private messages included?
Do not treat every message in Messenger or Instagram as part of the public-post dataset. Meta’s UK AI page specifically describes public information from adult accounts and interactions with Meta AI. Its wider privacy materials discuss messages sent to or received from Meta AI separately. On the available information, ordinary private conversations should not be described as included unless they are interactions with Meta AI. Read Meta’s AI privacy terms and its broader privacy explanation.
Why does Meta want UK public posts?
Meta says locally generated material helps its models understand UK languages, culture, geography and trending topics, and makes AI-at-Meta features more useful to people in the region. Those are Meta’s stated reasons, not an independent finding about the benefits.
Why was the plan paused?
The ICO raised concerns about whether users received clear information, whether safeguards were adequate and whether the way to object was simple and effective. Meta paused the plan in June 2024 after the regulator’s requests.
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What changed before the restart?
In its September statement, the ICO welcomed two principal changes: Meta simplified the objection process and extended the period in which users could object. The ICO said it would monitor the situation, but it did not grant regulatory approval. Meta remained responsible for demonstrating continuing compliance. Read the ICO’s statement.
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What legal basis does Meta cite?
Meta says it relies on legitimate interests to develop and improve generative-AI models and that people in the UK and EU can object to qualifying processing carried out on that basis. Whether a particular use complies with UK data-protection law is not settled by Meta’s description; the ICO has not issued blanket approval.
How to object in the UK
Use Meta’s formal privacy-rights route rather than a copy-and-paste status update. Menu names can vary by account, country and app version.
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- Open Meta’s UK-English generative-AI privacy page or the Privacy Center.
- Sign in if requested and find the section about using information for generative-AI models and features.
- Select the right-to-object or equivalent privacy-rights request option.
- Choose the relevant Facebook or Instagram product and identify the processing you oppose.
- Explain that your objection concerns use of your public information and/or interactions with Meta AI for generative-AI development and improvement, and state the grounds relating to your situation.
- Submit the request and save the confirmation email or a screenshot.
Meta’s help documentation also directs UK and EU users to its Privacy Rights Request channel. Meta says it sends confirmation when an objection is accepted and that people who have already objected do not need to submit another request.
What an accepted objection does—and does not do
According to Meta, an accepted objection means it will not use your public information from Meta products or your interactions with Meta AI for specified future development and improvement of AI-at-Meta generative-AI models.
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- It is not a promise that information already incorporated into a trained model will be removed.
- Changing a post to private or deleting it may reduce future use, but does not instantly retrain a model.
- Deleting your own post does not control public material posted by somebody else that depicts, quotes or mentions you.
Meta explains that deleting information does not immediately alter a model that has already learned patterns from it. See Meta’s model-training explanation.
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Practical steps beyond the formal objection
- Review old Facebook and Instagram posts and change the audience for material you no longer want public.
- Check comments on public posts, Pages and public groups, not just your own profile.
- Review tagged photos and public professional or creator-account content.
- Remember that friends, clients or other users may have posted public images or mentions involving you.
- Do not rely on “Goodbye Meta AI” notices: a status update cannot replace a formal data-protection objection.
What UK users should take from the announcement
Meta’s UK plan concerned a defined category—public content from adult Facebook and Instagram users—not every item on every account. The ICO’s involvement changed the objection process but was not an approval of the processing. For the control available now, use Meta’s live UK privacy pages and record the result of any request, because policy wording and app navigation can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does making a Facebook post private remove it from Meta’s AI models?
No. It can reduce future use of that post, but Meta says changing privacy settings or deleting information does not immediately alter a model that has already learned from it.
Can someone under 18 be treated as part of this UK announcement?
The September 2024 announcement was framed around public content shared by adult users. Do not assume the same scope applies to minors; check Meta’s current age-specific terms.
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Is an objection the same as deleting my Facebook or Instagram account?
No. An objection targets specified future AI-development use. It is separate from account deletion and from broader requests to erase personal information.
The Bottom Line
Meta resumed its UK public-content AI-training plan in September 2024 after simplifying and extending its objection process. UK adults who oppose the stated use should submit a formal request through Meta’s current privacy tools; the ICO did not approve the processing, and an objection does not erase material already learned by existing models.
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