Tech News
← Back to articles

Meta might be secretly scanning your phone's camera roll

read original related products more articles

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's key takeaways

Meta could be scanning your camera roll right now.

It's using your photos to provide AI-powered suggestions.

Check Facebook settings to turn off the features.

Meta could be analyzing and retaining your phone's photos without your explicit consent.

Some Facebook users have noticed that, deep within their app settings, Meta has switched on two toggles that allow it to access their camera roll to offer AI-powered suggestions, including "personalized creative ideas, like travel highlights and collages."

Also: How to delete Facebook, Messenger, or Instagram - if you want Meta out of your life

The problem? The toggles for the AI suggestion features, called "camera roll sharing suggestions," appear to be turned on for users who claim they haven't seen a pop-up from Facebook asking for permission to enable them. If you get that "cloud processing" pop-up and tap "Allow" on it, you'll agree to Meta's AI Terms of Service and permit your "media and facial features" to be analyzed by AI.

... continue reading