Meta AI Launches Across Europe with Text-Only Features for GDPR Compliance
Image Credit: Muhammad Asyfaul | Splash
Meta has initiated the rollout of its AI chatbot, Meta AI, across Europe this week, nearly one year after postponing its debut in the region. The text-based assistant is now available on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Messenger in 41 European countries and 21 overseas territories. Unlike its broader functionality in other markets, the European version is restricted to text-based chat capabilities at this stage.
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Regulatory Delays Shape European Debut
Meta AI first launched in the United States in 2023, with plans for a global expansion. In Europe, however, the rollout was delayed following a request from Ireland’s data protection authority to suspend training the AI on content posted by Facebook and Instagram users in the region. This regulatory intervention also prompted Meta to halt the introduction of its multimodal Llama AI model in the European Union last year. The company has since engaged in nearly a year of discussions with European regulators to address these concerns.
For its current European launch, Meta AI has not been trained on data from EU users. Meta spokesperson Ellie Heatrick told The Verge,
“This launch follows almost a year of intensive engagement with various European regulators and for now, we are only offering a text-only model in the region which wasn’t trained on first-party data from users in the EU”.
This approach reflects compliance with the European Union’s data privacy framework, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
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Scope and Constraints of the Chatbot
In Europe, Meta AI is designed to assist users with tasks such as generating ideas, planning trips or responding to questions using web-sourced information. The chatbot also enables users to locate specific content types on their Instagram feeds. However, it lacks features available in the U.S., such as generating or editing images and answering queries about uploaded photos. These limitations stem from both the exclusion of EU user data in its training and the regulatory environment shaping its deployment.
The text-only restriction positions the European version of Meta AI as a more basic tool compared to its counterparts elsewhere. Users in the region cannot access the full range of functionalities that Meta has developed, highlighting a disparity in the company’s AI offerings across markets.
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Meta’s AI Expansion in Europe
Beyond the chatbot, Meta has introduced limited AI features to its Ray-Ban smart glasses in the EU since November of last year. These features do not include multimodal capabilities, such as analyzing visual input from the wearer, aligning with the cautious approach seen in the chatbot rollout. Despite these constraints, Meta has expressed intentions to broaden its AI presence in Europe. Heatrick stated that the company will “continue to work collaboratively with regulators so that people in Europe have access to and are properly served by Meta’s AI innovations that are already available to the rest of the world”.
This commitment suggests that Meta views the current launch as an initial phase, with plans to expand features as regulatory alignment progresses. The company’s focus on collaboration indicates an effort to address privacy concerns while gradually introducing more advanced capabilities.
Source: The Verge
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