Meta-owned Facebook has introduced a new AI-powered feature that prompts users to upload photos from their phones to generate creative story ideas such as collages and recaps. This includes photos that users have not explicitly uploaded to the platform.

According to reports from TechCrunch, when users attempt to create a new Story on Facebook, they receive a pop-up message requesting permission to “allow cloud processing.” The feature selects media from users’ camera rolls continuously, analyzing metadata like time, location, and themes to suggest personalized content. Meta assures that only the user can see these suggestions and that the photos will not be used for targeted advertising, emphasizing that content will be checked for safety and integrity.

By consenting, users also agree to Meta’s AI terms, which permit the company to analyze their media and facial features. Currently, this feature is limited to users in the United States and Canada and is opt-in, with the option to disable it anytime.

This rollout highlights the accelerating push by tech companies to integrate AI-driven functionality into their services, often raising new privacy issues. While Meta states the photos will not be used for ad targeting, experts express concerns about data retention, access, and potential misuse—especially since cloud processing exposes user content to risks like facial recognition and extraction of hidden metadata.

Moreover, even if the data is not directly used for ads, it could be incorporated into AI training datasets or used to develop detailed user profiles. Essentially, users hand over their personal photo collections to algorithms that silently analyze habits and patterns. However, Meta has clarified that unpublished photos will not be used to train AI models via this new feature.

Meta’s AI initiatives are not limited to Facebook. Last month, after approval from the Irish Data Protection Commission, the company began training AI models on publicly shared data from adult users in the European Union. However, due to privacy concerns, Meta suspended generative AI tools in Brazil in mid-2024.

In addition, Meta has launched AI features on WhatsApp, including privacy-centered tools like summarizing unread messages using “Private Processing.”

These developments reflect a broader trend where AI convenience is balanced against user tracking and privacy. Features such as automated collages and smart story suggestions enhance user experience but rely on AI that monitors device activity beyond just app usage. This makes transparent privacy controls, informed consent, and limited data collection essential.

Facebook’s AI rollout coincides with ongoing scrutiny of AI apps worldwide. For example, German data protection authorities have urged Apple and Google to remove the app DeepSeek from their stores due to unauthorized transfer of user data to servers in China, violating EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Reports also suggest that the Chinese AI company behind DeepSeek shares user data with China’s military and intelligence services.

Meanwhile, OpenAI recently secured a $200 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop advanced AI tools to support national security efforts, including improving healthcare access for military personnel and enhancing proactive cyber defense capabilities.

As AI technologies evolve rapidly, companies and users alike must navigate the complex balance between innovation, privacy, and security.

Source: https://thehackernews.com/2025/06/facebooks-new-ai-tool-requests-photo.html