Starting in July, Facebook is reportedly asking users for permission to scan their camera rolls—including photos they haven’t uploaded—to create AI-generated edits like collages, filters, and themed recaps.
According to TechCrunch, the feature appears when users create a Story, prompting them to enable “cloud processing” for “creative suggestions.”
If you tap “Allow,” Facebook will upload images from your camera roll to its servers, analyzing them based on time, location, and content. The company insists these suggestions remain private and won’t be used for ads. However, agreeing also means letting Meta’s AI analyze facial features, objects, and dates in your photos under its updated AI Terms, enforceable since July 23, 2024.
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Meta claims this helps personalize AI features, like summarizing or modifying images. But the fine print is vague—while the company says it won’t use these photos for ad targeting, its AI Terms allow Meta to “retain and use” personal data from prompts and feedback. It’s unclear whether unshared camera roll photos fall under this rule.
Some users have already encountered the feature. One Reddit user found Meta AI had turned an old photo into an anime-style image. Others discovered they could disable it in Settings under “Camera roll sharing suggestions,” though the cloud processing toggle requires manual opt-out.
This move expands Meta’s AI training beyond public posts, raising questions about how much access users unknowingly grant. Unlike the EU’s opt-out deadline (May 27, 2025) for public data training, this feature operates under a separate, less transparent system. Meta hasn’t clarified further, leaving users to decide if AI edits are worth the trade-off.