How to use opt-out options for AI training on social media

These days, people’s social media posts, not only their content but even their images, are increasingly being used for and with AI systems, whether companies are aware of it or not. Masu.

For companies running AI models, social media platforms provide valuable data. What is written there is conversational, which is what AI chatbots are consistently aiming for. Social media posts contain human slang that the tool itself may be useful for using. Additionally, news feeds are generally a source of real-time happenings.

But users who post to these sites are at risk of having their random musings, vacation photos, or disappointing selfies freely used to build technology (and, in turn, make money) for multibillion-dollar companies. Maybe not so enthusiastic.

“There are a lot of fears about AI right now, some of which are well-founded and others based in science fiction. We need to be very open about how we use and don’t use that data. That can help mitigate some of the reactions that this kind of news brings, but for me it’s still a line. It doesn’t feel like you’re being taken care of,” says marketing agency Nobody’s said David Oziste, founder of Cafe and a regular contributor on LinkedIn about branding and creativity. in a message to CNN. He added that he would not allow LinkedIn to use his data for AI training.

The options provided to users to opt out of contributing to AI systems vary by social platform. But the reality is: When you publish content online, there is no way to completely guarantee that your images will not be vandalized for unauthorized use by third parties.

At the very least, it’s worth being aware that this is happening. Here’s where some major social media platforms use your data to train and run their AI models, and how (and if) you can opt out.

LinkedIn this week began offering users the option to opt out of having their data used to train generative AI models.

The company says user content may be used by LinkedIn and its “affiliates,” which may include Microsoft partner OpenAI. The purpose is to “edit or remove personal data” from the training dataset.

To opt out, users must go to (Settings & Privacy), select the (Data Privacy) tab in the left column, and click (Generate data for AI improvements) to toggle the button off. There is.

However, the platform states, “Opting out means that LinkedIn and its affiliates will not use your personal data or content on LinkedIn to train future models, but any training that has already taken place will not be affected.” “No,” he says. This means that you can’t undo a previous training of the LinkedIn AI system using a user’s posts.

LinkedIn says it doesn’t train its AI on user data from those regions, so if you live in the UK, Switzerland, or Europe, where privacy protections are stronger than in other jurisdictions, there’s an opt-out option may not be displayed.

Elon Musk’s X also asks users to opt out if they don’t want their posts used to train the AI ​​chatbot Grok. Grok has come under fire for things like spreading false information about the 2024 election and generating fake violent and graphic images of celebrities. Politician.

The platform and Musk’s xAI startup will use people’s posts and conversations with Grok to improve its “ability to provide accurate, relevant, and engaging responses,” the platform said. He says he is doing things like developing a “sense of humor and wit.” (X did not proactively notify users that their data would be used in this way; the policy update was noticed by astute users.)

X Users can opt out by going to (Settings) then (Privacy & Safety). Under the “Data Sharing and Personalization” header is a tab for “Grok,” where users can uncheck a box to allow the platform to use their data for AI training. X also notes that users who have made their accounts private will not have their posts used to “train Grok’s underlying models or generate responses to user queries.” states.

Snapchat’s “My Selfie” feature allows users and their friends to turn their selfies into AI-generated images.

Technology news site 404 Media first reported this week that Snap (and the brands that advertise on the platform) will use the feature to create AI-generated ads featuring users’ faces. , these selfies can be used.

Snapchat says in its terms of service that user selfies shared through the feature will be used for “the development and improvement of machine learning models and for research purposes.” It also said that by using the feature, users agree to be depicted in ads that are “only shown to them” without compensation.

However, you also agree to allow us broader access to those images. According to the Terms of Service, “By using My Selfie, you agree to use My Selfie with Snap, our affiliates, other users of the Service, and our business. You grant to Partner an unrestricted, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable and perpetual right and license to use and create derivative works of you and your generated images, in whole or in part. to promote, exhibit, broadcast, syndicate, reproduce, distribute, synchronize, superimpose graphics, superimpose aural effects, publicly perform, and publicly display any currently known work from or for commercial and non-commercial purposes; Your My Portrait derived from Selfie.”

My Selfie is a feature that Snapchat users must opt ​​in to create, so users won’t default to any images they share with the platform in this way. Additionally, users who have My Selfies turned on can see AI-generated sponsored content by going to Settings > My Account > My Selfies and turning off Show my selfies in ads. You can prevent your images from being used to create . .

Reddit requires all users who publicly share content on the site to “share your content and any name, username, voice, or likeness you provide in connection with your content in any media format.” includes allowing third parties to access your User Submissions for AI training purposes.

Reddit has signed a major deal with Google and OpenAI to share platform data to train AI models as part of its efforts to make more money.

Redditors cannot opt ​​out of having their public posts used in this way, but the platform does ensure that private content such as private messages, private community posts, and browsing history is not shared with third parties. states.

Metareaders acknowledge that the company is already using public (not private) Facebook and Instagram posts to train its AI chatbot.

Meta says in its privacy policy that it may use your public Facebook and Instagram content to train its AI systems, including posts, comments, audio, and profile photos. Therefore, if you wish to opt out, you must make your account private. Mehta also said that private messages between family and friends will not be used to train the AI.

Still, the company notes that even if you don’t use Meta’s services at all, the company may use information such as photos of you posted by friends to improve its technology.