Facebook is asking for permission to see and use your mobile photos and this is why

Mark Zuckerberg's company, Meta, has begun asking users for permission to allow its artificial intelligence, Meta AI, to access photos stored on their devices , even if they haven't been shared on the social network.

This decision is driven by the new feature, presented as a 'Cloud Processing' tool, that appears when trying to create a 'Story' on Facebook. Specifically, a pop-up message invites users to allow the app to analyze images from their gallery. If accepted, the photos are periodically uploaded to Meta's servers, allowing Meta AI to automatically generate suggestions. —such as collages, effects, thematic summaries or memories organized by events—.

The feature is currently being tested in the United States and Canada . Users can also manage or disable the feature from Facebook's Gallery Usage Suggestions, where they can find the exact controls to disable cloud processing or prevent AI from accessing the gallery.

According to Zuckerberg's company, the generated suggestions are private and not used for advertising purposes . However, accepting this option also implies accepting the Meta AI Terms of Service, which allows the company to analyze details such as faces, objects, dates, and locations within the photos. However, while Meta states that the images are not used to train AI models at this stage, the terms do not rule out this possibility in the future.

However, if the user decides to disable the feature, uploaded photos are deleted after 30 days, although Meta reserves the right to retain some data for longer in certain cases.

TechCrunch reports that this feature has raised concerns among some users , particularly the fact that Facebook is requesting access to personal images that have never been published on the social network. Meanwhile, others have been surprised to discover automated edits—such as artistic styling—being applied to their old photos without prior consent.

This move represents a new step in the use of personal data by big tech, and reignites the debate about privacy , informed consent and the role of artificial intelligence in everyday life, considering that Meta already uses public user content to train its AI .

Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest technology news straight to your inbox.