FTC warning on unfair and illegal data collection

The FTC officially warns: Quietly changing your privacy policy to collect data for AI training is unfair, deceptive, and illegal.

➤ What happened

👉Companies have become “data hungry”. They sometimes start collecting user data for AI training and hide that fact in changes to their terms and conditions.

👉One example was an attempt by Zoom a few months ago.

👉Luiza Jarovsky wrote a great post about how Meta might also be collecting data for their AI, but not even saying so in their terms and conditions.

➤ What the FTC said

🏢They compare this data collection practice to non-AI companies. The practice is unfair, deceptive, and illegal, regardless of whether the company uses AI.

🏢The FTC promises to take action against companies that engage in this practice.

➤ Why this is important and good

😀People think that there isn’t AI regulation in the US because there isn’t an equivalent of the EU AI Act.

😀Not the case.

😀 Enforcing existing laws on AI-related cases is a key component of AI regulation. US federal agencies are leading the charge, once again.

➤ The disappointing

😕We need to start seeing more action to accompany the talk.

😕Go beyond threats. Open investigations and sue AI companies.

😕Include the public. Create easy ways for the public to report violators.

➤ What do other people think? Join the discussion on the LinkedIn thread.