Erin Devanadera 

A surfacing trend on Facebook shared by Atty Toots Bautista and multiple other users has made prominent the claim that its META database administers private details, photos, and posts of its users regardless of the privacy measures it has established for several decades. The trend also points to the alleged authorization of the app on the users’ information for the general public, including the utilization of the users’ public and private content, and warns that the app itself will integrate and distribute each user’s data unless Facebook users repost the mentioned claim and trend. 


CLAIM: Facebook’s META uses and distributes users’ data for disclosure.

RATING: FALSE

CONCLUSION: The surfacing claim, however, is a misinterpretation of the policies on Facebook META’s privacy disclosure. On November 14, 2024, Facebook launched a revision of its privacy policy, highlighting the need for enhancing users’ personalized experience, the company’s products, and harm prevention for all parties in case of legislative measures, while also emphasizing that the information it collects from its users is not sold and is kept confidentially for these general purposes. Moreover, each user is provided with a “Terms of Service” agreement explicitly stating the data collection necessary before being given a Facebook account. The app has also previously released an official statement regarding its rules and regulations on users’ data utility for its generative AI, giving its users the option to send a formal and direct objection regarding the potential usage and risks it may impose on users’ privacy and preference to refrain from consenting to META’s generative AI training data collection.