Facebook, the social network platform owned by Meta, is asking for users to upload pictures from their phones to suggest collages, recaps, and other ideas using artificial intelligence (AI), including those that have not been directly uploaded to the service.
According to TechCrunch, which first reported the feature, users are being served a new pop-up message asking for permission to “allow cloud processing” when they are attempting to create a new Story on Facebook.
“To create ideas for you, we’ll select media from your camera roll and upload it to our cloud on an ongoing basis, based on info like time, location or themes,” the company notes in the pop-up. “Only you can see suggestions. Your media won’t be used for ads targeting. We’ll check it for safety and integrity purposes.”
Should users consent to their photos being processed on the cloud, Meta also states that they are agreeing to its AI terms, which allow it to analyze their media and facial features.
Meta says its new AI feature won’t be used for targeted ads, but experts still have concerns. When people upload personal photos or videos—even if they agree to it—it’s unclear how long that data is kept or who can see it. Since the processing happens in the cloud, there are risks, especially with things like facial recognition and hidden details such as time or location.
Even if it’s not used for ads, this kind of data could still end up in training datasets or be used to build user profiles. It’s a bit like handing your photo album to an algorithm that quietly learns your habits, preferences, and patterns over time.
NEW – Facebook now asks users to upload phone photos, even unposted ones, to generate AI recaps, collages, and story ideas.https://t.co/TFqyXufHVZ
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) June 28, 2025
