Serious concerns regarding privacy were highlighted by independent AI software of Meta when users accidentally started posting private discussions on the internet, disclosing private and sensitive information.
Users are able to interact with Meta AI using the app, through text, audio, as well as image. Users can also submit their conversations through a “share” button in the UI.
Users, especially those who logged in using Instagram accounts that were set to public exposure, have complained that they were not aware that these shared posts were being made public.
Serious questions which concern tax evasion, legal issues, and weird medical symptoms are among the posted content; these frequently include full identities and private information.
In one audio message, a man wondered why “some farts stink more than other farts,” and another user, not realizing that everyone could hear, asked the AI how to meet “big b**ty women.”
The app has an inadvertent meme-factory vibe due to public posts that have Goku celebrating Russia Day and Mark Zukerburg getting married to a giant bug. AI-generated images aren’t doing significantly better.
Inquiries regarding avoidance of taxes, legal issues which involve certain individuals, medical issues, as well as addresses of homes have all been posted by users on the app.
Additionally, some audio samples include inappropriate or private content that has gone viral online. Cybersecurity researcher Rachel Tobac is among the experts who have found multiple cases when individuals unintentionally revealed extremely private information.
Privacy groups have criticized the absence of clear privacy options and ambiguous information about where and how private chats are broadcast.
Given Meta’s prior data privacy issues, the design decision to make shared prompts public by default has been characterized as a serious oversight.
Meta has not formally commented on the situation regarding privacy concerns of Meta AI despite mounting criticism. Analysts point out that since its April 29 introduction, the app has only received 6.5 million downloads, which is comparatively small for a business of Meta’s size and further suggests user reluctance or suspicion.
