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Meta might be secretly scanning your phone's camera roll - how to check and turn it off

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Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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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, within their app settings, Meta automatically switched on two toggles that allow it to access their device's 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? These "camera roll sharing suggestions" features appear to be turned on by default -- even for users who say they never saw a "cloud processing" pop-up from Facebook that asks for permission to enable them. If you did see the pop-up and tapped "Allow" on it, you agreed to Meta's AI Terms of Service and permitted your "media and facial features" to be analyzed by AI.

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