Meta Faces Class Action over AI Training Data

A group of parents and their children in Illinois and California has filed a federal lawsuit against Meta. The complaint alleges that the company illegally used their Facebook and Instagram photos to build an unreleased face-recognition system for its smart glasses. The suit claims this process violated state privacy laws by extracting biometric information without notice or consent.

The proposed class action also targets Meta’s generative AI models, including Emu and Muse Image. The plaintiffs argue that training these systems on social media images illegally harvested biometric data from people who appeared in those pictures. If successful, the case could set a precedent for how tech companies use public social media data for artificial intelligence.

Secret Code in Smart Glasses App

Reporting from WIRED revealed that code for a feature called NameTag was secretly embedded in the Meta glasses AI companion app. This app has been downloaded over 50 million times, although the feature was not enabled for users. The system was designed to convert faces captured by the glasses into biometric signatures and compare them against a database on the user’s phone.

The lawsuit contends that this database is configured to receive updates from Meta. The complaint suggests that the underlying faceprint data may be derived from Facebook and Instagram images. Meta employees reportedly claimed the system could recognize people through their social connections, a capability described in a company patent.

Legal Risks for AI Training

Meta has stated that it trained its Emu model on large quantities of Facebook and Instagram content, calling it a data advantage. The lawsuit argues this process violates the Biometric Information Privacy Act in Illinois and similar laws in California. Under these statutes, violations can result in significant financial penalties for each instance of intentional or negligent misuse.

The proposed class includes millions of people across the United States whose images were uploaded to these platforms since September 2021. The plaintiffs are seeking damages and injunctive relief to prevent further unauthorized use of their biometric data. This legal challenge highlights the growing tension between AI development and individual privacy rights.

Company Denies Central Database

Meta spokespersons have stated that the lawsuit is without merit and misrepresents the company's work. They emphasized that nothing has shipped to consumers regarding the NameTag feature and that no final decision has been made on its deployment. Meta insists it is not building a universal face database and claims to be transparent about how it uses people's information.

The attorneys for the plaintiffs argue that users should not have to worry about their biometric information being misused simply because their photographs appear on a social media platform. This case underscores the need for clear consent mechanisms as AI systems increasingly rely on personal data for training and feature development.