If you haven't already seen or heard about it, Facebook is testing a new feature that asks for permission to access your camera roll. If you agree, Meta will upload your photos to its servers on an ongoing basis. The stated purpose is to generate AI-powered photo suggestions, such as edits, collages, themes like birthdays, and more. This happens even for images you haven't posted. However, you can opt out of this criminal intrusion, so follow along as we show you how.
Takeaways:
- Learn how to protect your private photos from being uploaded to Meta's servers
- How do you stop Facebook and Instagram from accessing your entire photo library for AI training?
Table of Contents
What is Facebook and Instagram's AI Camera Roll Feature?
Facebook is testing a feature that prompts users to enable “cloud processing” when creating a Story. If accepted, this allows Meta to access and upload your entire camera roll to its servers on an ongoing basis. The content is then analysed by Meta AI to generate photo suggestions like edits, collages, and themed posts.
This includes scanning photo metadata (dates, locations), facial features, and the presence of people or objects. Even for photos you haven’t shared. While Meta claims this data isn’t used for ads or AI training unless posted publicly, enabling the feature gives broad access to your private media. These companies are greedy lying scum so you can't trust anything they say. They commit the crime first, then ask for forgiveness. And it pays off every single time. So here's what the feature will do.
- Continuously access and analyse your phone’s media
- Use facial recognition and metadata such as dates and locations
- Store your private content on Meta’s servers
How to Opt Out of Facebook’s Meta AI Camera Roll Feature
- Do not tap “Allow” when prompted
- If you're creating a Facebook Story and see a pop-up asking for "cloud processing," choose "Not Now" or simply deny the request. This prevents Facebook from accessing your photo library.
How to Opt Out of Facebook’s Meta AI Camera Roll Feature if you Accidentally enabled it.
To block access to Meta AI Camera Roll if you have already allowed it, do the following.
- Open the Facebook mobile app and go to:
Menu > Settings > Preferences > Camera Roll Suggestions
- Turn off Camera Roll Suggestions
- Disable Cloud Processing if it is turned on
Check your phone's app permissions
On iPhone
Settings > Privacy > Photos > Facebook
Set access to "None" or "Selected Photos" instead of "All Photos"
On Android
Settings > Apps > Facebook > Permissions
Tap "Photos and Videos" and choose "Don't allow" or "Ask every time"
What Else Can you do? Limit public posts
If you are in the US, there is currently no full opt-out of Meta's AI training. The only way to prevent Meta from using your content is to make your posts private. Users in the EU or UK may opt out, but the process is intentionally difficult.
