Australia Investigates Facebook and Instagram for Illegal Data Collection

Today (September 11, 2024), Facebook announced that it collects data from all users in Australia, except those under 18 years old. The data includes users' messages and images.

In a Senate hearing in Australia today, Melinda Claybaugh, Meta's Global Privacy Director, confirmed that both Facebook and Instagram collect data from all users aged 18 and over. The information collected includes messages, posts, statuses, and photos, including photos of children posted by adults. However, data from users under 18 is not collected.

According to Claybaugh, Facebook and Instagram collect user data to train artificial intelligence models. Unlike citizens of European Union countries, users in Australia do not have the option to opt out of data sharing with these platforms.

Australia is preparing to amend its Privacy Act. However, due to the rapid and complex development of technology, these amendments have been repeatedly delayed. Currently, the Australian Parliament is studying the best ways to manage technologies that utilize artificial intelligence, and hearings with social media platforms will help lawmakers understand how tech companies use user data, allowing them to draft appropriate regulations to protect the privacy of Australian users.

According to Australian media, there are currently 11 countries worldwide that have raised complaints about Meta’s data collection policies. However, Meta argues that its approach is similar to that of other tech platforms, including Google and OpenAI.