tensa relationship between the European Union and Meta adds a new chapter to an already long list of encounters. And I’m sorry if it seems like I’m taking sides (spoiler: yes, I am), but the tech company’s history is to cast doubt at the first opportunity because there are so many precedents (by actions or omissions) that suspicion is purely defensive in this case measure. That’s not prejudice, that’s experience.

As an example, take a quick look at the news regarding Meta’s issues with privacy and with European regulators, so far in 2024:

• Facebook and privacy. Yes again.
• Meta admits that it trains its AI with allegedly pirated material.
• EU questions Facebook’s ‘paying for your privacy’
• The European Union has launched an investigation into Instagram and Facebook.
• Spain bans Meta voting features on Facebook and Instagram.

Not bad, right? And we must add that, as we already told you two weeks ago, Meta’s plans included training its AI models with its users’ publications. Once again we are seeing the need for technology companies to create large datasets (monstrous large in fact) which they then serve to have content with which to prepare their models for later use.

Lately we knew numerous controversies about it, because there are quite a few companies that have collected large amounts of digital assets without the prior consent of their authors, which has led to a number of discussions in which what has been published can or cannot be used for these purposes. A discussion that yes, all indications are that it will be closed soon due to the actions of certain regulators.

In this sense we know it today Meta will not train its AI with data from EU citizens, and its AI services will not reach the Common European Space at this time.. The reason is none other than the request of the Irish regulator to postpone its training plans in response to a request in this regard from the European Center for Digital Rights, which brings together the data protection authorities of several European countries, among them Spain. them.

The Irish regulator’s requirement (remember, Meta’s EU presence is centralized in Ireland) therefore hampers the tech company’s intentions to operate on this side of the pond as it does in the United States. United and other markets, in which he may thus act.