Brazilian justice prohibits Meta from using press content for its AI

On Tuesday, Brazilian justice banned Meta, parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, from collecting content from media attached to three press associations in order to train its artificial intelligence. The provisional injunction, which does not constitute a final decision, responds to a request from national associations of newspapers, magazines and radio and television channels. These denounce the obligation imposed by Meta to provide content free of charge to continue using its networks. This obligation is included in Meta's new terms of use for businesses, which were scheduled to come into force on November 20.

Without hearing from Meta, Judge Guilherme Madeira Dezem issued a provisional decision. He estimated that the damage would be “irreversible” after training the AI ​​with press content. In his decision, the judge wrote: "Imposing on the media the free and universal provision of their creative heritage as a toll for remaining connected to the channels on which the contemporary public consumes information constitutes a manifest abuse of rights."

This part of Meta's new conditions was suspended by the magistrate. The company cannot sanction the media who refuse them. According to the associations, this decision is the first in the world to support a media coalition opposed to these conditions.

Meta risks a daily fine of one million reals (162,000 euros) in the event of non-compliance with this ban, until a final decision is rendered. The company has five days after notification to present its defense. She did not immediately respond to requests from AFP.

This measure "is a very positive signal showing that there are limits to the abuse of economic power", rejoiced the executive president of the National Association of Newspapers (ANJ), Marcelo Rech, in a press release.

Machine-translated from French