Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has ceased using its AI assistant following a ban by Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), which prohibits the company from training its AI models using personal data from Brazilian citizens. 

The development is a setback for Meta’s ambitions to expand its AI offerings in Brazil, a significant market with a populace exceeding 200 million.   

“We decided to suspend generative AI features that were previously live in Brazil while we engage with the ANPD to address their questions around generative AI,” Meta spokesperson wrote in a statement to TechCrunch. 

In June 2024, Meta had introduced an AI-based ad targeting feature for businesses on its widely used messaging service during an event in Sao Paulo. 

Soon after the launch of the ad programme the ANPD mandated an immediate halt to the enforcement of Meta’s revised privacy policy concerning the use of personal data for training generative AI systems within the nation.  

The ANPD’s decision necessitates Meta to modify its privacy policy to remove provisions related to the processing of personal data for AI training purposes. 

The ANPD’s preventative action stems from “the imminent risk of serious harm and irreparable or difficult-to-repair damage to the fundamental rights of guardians”, as stated in the official documentation. 

Furthermore, the ANPD has imposed a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($9000) should a company fail to comply with the ruling.  

While Meta has been utilising user-generated content to train its AI in the US and other regions for several years, it encountered a similar obstacle in May when it had to pause its AI training initiatives in Europe and the UK due to objections from the Irish Data Protection Commission.