Get the latest tech news

Meta might be secretly scanning your phone's camera roll - how to check and turn it off

Some Facebook users have noticed new settings that let Meta analyze and retain your phone's photos. Yes, you read that right.

Some Facebook users have noticed that, within their app settings, Meta automatically switched on two toggles that allow it to access their device's camera roll to offer AI-powered suggestions, including "personalized creative ideas, like travel highlights and collages." This will stop Facebook from continuously uploading media from your camera roll -- and using details like time, location, themes, and the presence of people or objects -- to generate personalized creative ideas such as recaps and AI restylings. Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Meta is uploading and analyzing your camera roll photos and videos, even ones you haven't posted, in its cloud in order to generate AI-powered suggestions like collages, monthly recaps, themed albums, or AI-restyled versions of your images.

Get the Android app