Meta’s latest AI-powered feature for Facebook is raising red flags about personal privacy. The company now asks users to allow the upload of personal photos from their phone’s camera roll to generate AI Story ideas. While positioned as a helpful tool, this development has sparked concern among privacy experts, especially regarding the handling of images never shared on Facebook.
This change marks another step in Meta’s broader integration of artificial intelligence across its platforms.
What Is the New AI Photo Feature?
When a user tries to create a Story, a prompt appears asking for permission to “allow cloud processing.” If accepted, Facebook begins scanning photos stored on the device—even if they’ve never been posted. The system then analyzes the content using AI to offer collage suggestions, highlights, and themed recap stories.
According to Meta, only the user will see these suggestions. The company also claims that uploaded media won’t be used for ad targeting and that it checks content for safety and integrity purposes.
However, this process raises deeper concerns about how private images are handled after upload.
Why Privacy Experts Are Concerned
This tool is opt-in, and users can disable it. Still, the core concern lies in what happens after someone allows access. Here’s what makes this feature especially risky:
- Photos Get Stored in the Cloud
Once uploaded, the images are processed on Meta’s servers. It’s unclear how long the company retains them or whether backups are kept, even after the user deletes their content. - Facial Data Analysis
Meta states that the feature includes analysis of facial features. This introduces the potential for unannounced facial recognition or behavioral profiling. - Sensitive Metadata Is Included
Most photos contain embedded metadata like time, date, GPS location, and device details. When uploaded, this hidden information may also be stored and analyzed. - Broad and Vague Terms
Users must accept Meta’s AI terms, which allow broad data analysis under the umbrella of “service improvement.” These permissions go far beyond simple collage creation.
Meta’s Official Response
Meta has told media outlets, including The Verge, that it is not training its AI models on unpublished photos collected through this feature. They’ve emphasized that the suggestions remain private and that people can opt out at any time.
A help page also confirms the feature is currently limited to the U.S. and Canada and not available globally.
Despite this, many experts argue that cloud-based processing—even when labeled “private”—can open the door to misuse, especially if policies shift in the future.
A Broader Trend: AI Pushing Privacy Boundaries
This rollout isn’t happening in isolation. It reflects a growing industry trend where user data powers generative AI features, sometimes in ways users don’t expect.
In the European Union, Meta now uses public posts from adults to train its AI, following approval from the Irish Data Protection Commission. However, in Brazil, the company had to suspend its generative AI tools in July 2024 after regulators raised concerns.
Germany recently took things further, asking Apple and Google to remove Chinese-developed AI apps like DeepSeek due to alleged data transfers that violated the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Those apps were accused of collecting everything from text entries and chat histories to device and location data—and sending it to servers in China.
What Makes This Facebook Feature Unique
Unlike traditional AI tools that only use posted content, this feature taps into unpublished media. It also makes use of on-device behavior patterns to suggest stories. While this can make the tool feel personalized, it means that Meta’s AI is learning from far more than what users intentionally share.
Even if the AI doesn’t use the images for training now, storing them in Meta’s cloud introduces risks. Hackers, data leaks, or internal misuse are all possible once content is off your device.
What Users Should Ask Before Enabling This
As a cybersecurity expert, I recommend users take time to weigh the potential risks. Ask yourself:
- Are you comfortable with unpublished photos being uploaded automatically?
- Do you trust the cloud to store images without long-term retention?
- Will you remember to disable the feature if policies change?
- Are there children, private events, or sensitive subjects in your photo gallery?
These questions help highlight the long-term risks, not just the short-term convenience.
How to Stay Protected on Facebook
Here are steps you can take to protect your privacy while still using AI-driven platforms like Facebook:
- Limit App Permissions
Revoke camera roll access from apps you don’t trust completely. - Turn Off AI Suggestions
Disable any settings related to auto-story generation or cloud photo processing. - Strip Metadata from Photos
Use tools to remove EXIF data before uploading images to any platform. - Use Encrypted Storage for Sensitive Media
Keep private content in encrypted folders or external devices instead of your main gallery. - Review Privacy Settings Regularly
Platforms often update permissions without direct alerts. Check your settings every few weeks.
FAQs
What is Facebook’s new AI photo feature?
It’s an AI tool that uses uploaded photos from your device’s camera roll to suggest Stories and collages based on time, themes, and location.
Is this feature required?
No, it’s optional. Users must give permission before it begins uploading media.
Will Meta use my photos for ads?
Meta says uploaded content will not be used for ad targeting, though it may be analyzed under its AI terms.
Does the tool use facial recognition?
While Meta hasn’t confirmed active facial recognition, the terms allow analysis of facial features, which could be used to build user profiles.
Can I delete my uploaded photos?
You can disable the feature and remove app access, but it’s unclear how long Meta keeps uploaded media on its servers.
