Celebrities fall for Instagram AI hoax

NFL star Tom Brady and actor James McAvoy among those to post the viral ‘Goodbye Meta AI’ post

A hoax post on Instagram has been shared hundreds of thousands of times (iStock/ Getty Images)

Several celebrities have reposted a fake Instagram message that plays on concerns about Meta’s new artificial intelligence tools.

NFL star Tom Brady, actor James McAvoy and actress Julianne Moore were among hundreds of thousands of people to share the ‘Goodbye Meta AI’ viral story template, believing that doing so would stop the tech giant from using their data to train AI.

“Goodbye Meta AI. Please note an attorney has advised us to put this on, failure to do so may result in legal consequences,” the text states.

“As Meta is now a public entity all members must post a similar statement. If you do not post at least once it will be assumed you are okay with them using your information and photos. I do not give Meta or anyone else permission to use any of my personal data, profile information or photos.”

A screenshot of the hoax ‘Goodbye Meta AI’ viral post on Instagram (Screenshot/ Instagram)

Instagram has flagged the post as “false information”, noting: “The same information was reviewed by independent fact-checkers in another post”.

Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, is under no legal obligation to stop using a person’s information or photos as a result of that post, however there are ways to opt out of certain data practices.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), residents in the UK and Europe are able to object to the way their personal data is collected and processed by Meta.

A section on the company’s website explains to users how an objection can be submitted, noting that if an objection is successful then Meta will comply.

Meta’s information page states: “We consider several factors when reviewing your objection, including: reasonable expectations; the benefits and risks to you, us, other users or third parties; and other available means to achieve the same purpose that may be less invasive and don’t require disproportionate effort.”