Tech
Hey, UK! Here’s how to ‘opt out’ of Meta using your Facebook and Instagram data to train its AI
After Meta recently reignited controversial plans to use the public posts of U.K. Facebook and Instagram users’ as AI training fodder, the social networking giant has taken the next step and begun to notify local users it will soon start helping itself to their information again.
The bad news is the process Meta has devised for opting out of this data-for-AI grab is almost as onerous as it was first time around.
Read on for a break down of the latest changes and details on how to object…
‘We’re planning new AI features for you…’
The company began sending out notifications about the impending data grab last week and, much like last time, the message Meta displays informing users of its planned use of their information is posted alongside other user alerts, such as friend requests and group updates, making it easy to miss. (By comparison, when Facebook prompts users to vote in an election, for example, the messaging is plastered prominently at the top of the feed.)
The phrasing of the notification also implies users don’t have a choice, with Meta merely touting “new AI features for you” and writing that users can: “Learn how we use your information.” Rather than explicitly informing people they have a choice to deny the processing.
Moreover, even if the user does spot the notification, the process to object is not simple; they must engage in multiple clicks and scrolls just to file an objection. Meta also claims it is at their discretion whether they honor it, which could further dissuade users from going through the effort of filing an objection.
‘Legitimate interest’
Meta has been helping itself to user-generated content to train its AI in many markets for some time already. But Europe’s comprehensive data protection framework, aka the GDPR, has created issues for the social networking giant (and other tech giants) from doing the same around the region.
Meta’s argument is that it needs local user-generated content to improve its large language models, including public social media posts, comments, interactions, photos and more — and it claims such access will help it better reflect the diversity of the European population. However, the GDPR requires that it has a valid legal basis for processing people’s information to train AIs.
Back in June, Meta was forced to pause its plans to use Europeans’ data for AI training after objections from European Union and U.K. regulators. The watchdogs were unhappy that people were being asked to opt-out, rather than affirmatively agree, to this new use of their data.
Meta has said it’s relying on a legal provision within the GDPR called “legitimate interests” (LI) — which it suggests justifies not obtaining people’s consent first. But its use of the same legal basis for processing personal data for its micro-targeted advertising business was struck down by the Court of Justice of the European Union in a July 2023 ruling. Privacy experts argue LI is similarly inappropriate for Meta to grab people’s data for training AIs.
Given that Meta’s U.K. business now sits outside the EU’s jurisdiction, the company has — nonetheless — forged ahead with its data-training endeavors in the U.K., making only minor changes to the opt-out process it offers local users. It has done this is in spite of the U.K.’s domestic data protection rules still being based on the EU’s GDPR. It is also not currently processing EU users’ data for training AIs.
Objection, your honor
A major bone of contention for U.K. users is that Meta is not making it easy for people to object to their posts becoming AI training fodder.
It’s true that Meta’s revised opt out process requires slightly fewer clicks than the earlier one which triggered objections from the U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). There is also less corporate lingo for people to sift through, compared to before. But the process of asking to opt out is still far more onerous than it needs to be.
The overriding issue also hasn’t changed: Meta is only offering users an opt-out, rather than giving them a free choice over use of their data for AI training. If it did that, users would need to affirmatively “opt in” before it could use their information and that’s still not the case here. Unless the user objects, Meta will be using their information to train its AI — assuming it does honor the objection.
So how do you object? Once the user clicks on Meta’s notification (assuming they see it), they’re taken to a page that informs them of Meta’s plans, and also tells them they have the “right to object” to this use of their information.
“If your objection is honoured, from then on, we won’t use your public information from Facebook and Instagram to develop and improve generative AI models for our AI at Meta features and experiences,” the notification states.
If the user wishes to object, they must click on the hyperlinked word “object,” and are then taken to a form to complete.
The form is pre-populated with the email address associated with the user’s account. One notable change here versus Meta’s last opt-out is that a box asking the user to explain how Meta’s data processing impacts them has been marked as “optional” — whereas when Meta tried to roll this out a few months back, the user was required to write something.
Despite a few tweaks, the revised process Meta has designed still does not conform to a strict opt-out, either — while Meta has publicly claimed that it will honor every objection, the wording throughout the process states that it’s at Meta’s discretion.
Asked about this, Meta spokesperson, policy communications manager Matt Pollard, said in an email that the language around the whole “if the objection is honored” bit, is due to its requirement that users submit a valid email address connected to their account.
However, the user needs to be logged in to their Facebook account in order to submit the form, and the email address field is pre-populated with the user’s linked email address, so it’s not clear how an invalid email address would be submitted unless the user was to manually edit their email address that’s already in there.
“There’s no ambiguity here at all, it’s very straightforward — we will honour all objection forms received,” Pollard added.
However, based on our testing, a valid email address isn’t actually required to successfully opt-out — any random string of letters can be put in the email address field, and Meta will likely honor the request. When pressed, Meta said that the email address is actually just for if the user would like “a receipt” for their objection, even though the field is mandatory to complete.
So make of that what you will.
‘Unlawful processing’?
In the wake of Meta’s revised notification process, some legal experts took to social media to contend that it might not be compatible with various aspects of GDPR. Indeed, Dr. Jennifer Cobbe, an assistant professor in law and technology at Queens’ College in Cambridge, argued that this amounted to “unlawful processing.”
One legal issue she highlights is that under the U.K.’s GDPR, so-called “special category data” requires extra protection due to its sensitivity. This is important, because sensitive characteristics — such as a person’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, beliefs, health information, sexual orientation, and more — could easily be conveyed publicly to friends on Facebook. And Article 9 of GDPR explicitly states that the data subject (i.e. a Facebook user) must give explicit consent for special category data to be processed — which means it should be opt-in.
So while Meta is forging ahead with its data training plans in the U.K., claiming it has a “legitimate interest” to grab people’s data, it could face fresh bumps in the road if users opt to file formal complaints with the regulator.
Asked whether Meta’s revised approach to process people’s data for AI meets the bar, the ICO pointed TechCrunch to its previous statement, issued three weeks ago. In it, Stephen Almond, its executive director for regulatory risk, said it would “monitor the situation as Meta moves to inform UK users and commence processing in the coming weeks.” So if enough users raise a stink, the ICO could be forced to act.
At the time, Almond emphasized the ICO hadn’t approved Meta’s approach, adding and that it is up to Meta to “ensure and demonstrate ongoing compliance.”
Tech
Volkswagen’s cheapest EV ever is the first to use Rivian software
Volkswagen’s ultra-cheap EV called the ID EVERY1 — a small four-door hatchback revealed Wednesday — will be the first to roll out with software and architecture from Rivian, according to a source familiar with the new model.
The EV is expected to go into production in 2027 with a starting price of 20,000 euros ($21,500). A second EV called the ID.2all, which will be priced in the 25,000 euro price category, will be available in 2026. Both vehicles are part of the automaker’s new of category electric urban front-wheel drive cars that are being developing under the so-called “Brand Group Core” that makes up the volume brands in the VW Group. And both vehicles are for the European market.
The EVERY1 will be the first to ship with Rivian’s vehicle architecture and software as part of a $5.8 billion joint venture struck last year between the German automaker and U.S. EV maker. The ID.2all is based on the E3 1.1 architecture and software developed by VW’s software unit Cariad.
VW didn’t name Rivian in its reveal Wednesday, although there were numerous nods to next-generation software. Kai Grünitz, member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management responsible for Technical Development, noted it would be the first model in the entire VW Group to use a “fundamentally new, particularly powerful software architecture.”
“This means the future entry-level Volkswagen can be equipped with new functions throughout its entire life cycle,” he said. “Even after purchase of a new car, the small Volkswagen can still be individually adapted to customer needs.”
Sources who didn’t want to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed to TechCrunch that Rivian’s software will be in the ID EVERY1 EV. TechCrunch has reached out to Rivian and VW and will update the article if the companies respond.
The new joint venture provides Rivian with a needed influx of cash and the opportunity to diversify its business. Meanwhile, VW Group gains a next-generation electrical architecture and software for EVs that will help it better compete. Both companies have said that the joint venture, called Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies, will reduce development costs and help scale new technologies more quickly.
The joint venture is a 50-50 partnership with co-CEOs. Rivian’s head of software, Wassym Bensaid, and Volkswagen Group’s chief technical engineer, Carsten Helbing, will lead the joint venture. The team will be based initially in Palo Alto, California. Three other sites are in development in North America and Europe, the companies have previously said.
“The ID. EVERY1 represents the last piece of the puzzle on our way to the widest model selection in the volume segment,” Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand and Head of the Brand Group Core, said in a statement. “We will then offer every customer the right car with the right drive system–including affordable all-electric entry-level mobility. Our goal is to be the world’s technologically leading high-volume manufacturer by 2030. And as a brand for everyone–just as you would expect from Volkswagen.”
The Volkswagen ID EVERY1 is just a concept for now — and with only a few details attached to the unveiling. The concept vehicle reaches a top speed of 130 km/h (80 miles per hour) and is powered by a newly developed electric drive motor with 70 kW, according to Volkswagen. The German automaker said the range on the EVERY1 will be at least 250 kilometers (150 miles). The vehicle is small but larger than VW’s former UP! vehicle. The company said it will have enough space for four people and a luggage compartment volume of 305 liters.
Tech
The hottest AI models, what they do, and how to use them
AI models are being cranked out at a dizzying pace, by everyone from Big Tech companies like Google to startups like OpenAI and Anthropic. Keeping track of the latest ones can be overwhelming.
Adding to the confusion is that AI models are often promoted based on industry benchmarks. But these technical metrics often reveal little about how real people and companies actually use them.
To cut through the noise, TechCrunch has compiled an overview of the most advanced AI models released since 2024, with details on how to use them and what they’re best for. We’ll keep this list updated with the latest launches, too.
There are literally over a million AI models out there: Hugging Face, for example, hosts over 1.4 million. So this list might miss some models that perform better, in one way or another.
AI models released in 2025
Cohere’s Aya Vision
Cohere released a multimodal model called Aya Vision that it claims is best in class at doing things like captioning images and answering questions about photos. It also excels in languages other than English, unlike other models, Cohere claims. It is available for free on WhatsApp.
OpenAI’s GPT 4.5 ‘Orion’
OpenAI calls Orion their largest model to date, touting its strong “world knowledge” and “emotional intelligence.” However, it underperforms on certain benchmarks compared to newer reasoning models. Orion is available to subscribers of OpenAI’s $200 a month plan.
Claude Sonnet 3.7
Anthropic says this is the industry’s first ‘hybrid’ reasoning model, because it can both fire off quick answers and really think things through when needed. It also gives users control over how long the model can think for, per Anthropic. Sonnet 3.7 is available to all Claude users, but heavier users will need a $20 a month Pro plan.
xAI’s Grok 3
Grok 3 is the latest flagship model from Elon Musk-founded startup xAI. It’s claimed to outperform other leading models on math, science, and coding. The model requires X Premium (which is $50 a month.) After one study found Grok 2 leaned left, Musk pledged to shift Grok more “politically neutral” but it’s not yet clear if that’s been achieved.
OpenAI o3-mini
This is OpenAI’s latest reasoning model and is optimized for STEM-related tasks like coding, math, and science. It’s not OpenAI’s most powerful model but because it’s smaller, the company says it’s significantly lower cost. It is available for free but requires a subscription for heavy users.
OpenAI Deep Research
OpenAI’s Deep Research is designed for doing in-depth research on a topic with clear citations. This service is only available with ChatGPT’s $200 per month Pro subscription. OpenAI recommends it for everything from science to shopping research, but beware that hallucinations remain a problem for AI.
Mistral Le Chat
Mistral has launched app versions of Le Chat, a multimodal AI personal assistant. Mistral claims Le Chat responds faster than any other chatbot. It also has a paid version with up-to-date journalism from the AFP. Tests from Le Monde found Le Chat’s performance impressive, although it made more errors than ChatGPT.
OpenAI Operator
OpenAI’s Operator is meant to be a personal intern that can do things independently, like help you buy groceries. It requires a $200 a month ChatGPT Pro subscription. AI agents hold a lot of promise, but they’re still experimental: a Washington Post reviewer says Operator decided on its own to order a dozen eggs for $31, paid with the reviewer’s credit card.
Google Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental
Google Gemini’s much-awaited flagship model says it excels at coding and understanding general knowledge. It also has a super-long context window of 2 million tokens, helping users who need to quickly process massive chunks of text. The service requires (at minimum) a Google One AI Premium subscription of $19.99 a month.
AI models released in 2024
DeepSeek R1
This Chinese AI model took Silicon Valley by storm. DeepSeek’s R1 performs well on coding and math, while its open source nature means anyone can run it locally. Plus, it’s free. However, R1 integrates Chinese government censorship and faces rising bans for potentially sending user data back to China.
Gemini Deep Research
Deep Research summarizes Google’s search results in a simple and well-cited document. The service is helpful for students and anyone else who needs a quick research summary. However, its quality isn’t nearly as good as an actual peer-reviewed paper. Deep Research requires a $19.99 Google One AI Premium subscription.
Meta Llama 3.3 70B
This is the newest and most advanced version of Meta’s open source Llama AI models. Meta has touted this version as its cheapest and most efficient yet, especially for math, general knowledge, and instruction following. It is free and open source.
OpenAI Sora
Sora is a model that creates realistic videos based on text. While it can generate entire scenes rather than just clips, OpenAI admits that it often generates “unrealistic physics.” It’s currently only available on paid versions of ChatGPT, starting with Plus, which is $20 a month.
Alibaba Qwen QwQ-32B-Preview
This model is one of the few to rival OpenAI’s o1 on certain industry benchmarks, excelling in math and coding. Ironically for a “reasoning model,” it has “room for improvement in common sense reasoning,” Alibaba says. It also incorporates Chinese government censorship, TechCrunch testing shows. It’s free and open source.
Anthropic’s Computer Use
Claude’s Computer Use is meant to take control of your computer to complete tasks like coding or booking a plane ticket, making it a predecessor of OpenAI’s Operator. Computer use, however, remains in beta. Pricing is via API: $0.80 per million tokens of input and $4 per million tokens of output.
x.AI’s Grok 2
Elon Musk’s AI company, x.AI, has launched an enhanced version of its flagship Grok 2 chatbot it claims is “three times faster.” Free users are limited to 10 questions every two hours on Grok, while subscribers to X’s Premium and Premium+ plans enjoy higher usage limits. x.AI also launched an image generator, Aurora, that produces highly photorealistic images, including some graphic or violent content.
OpenAI o1
OpenAI’s o1 family is meant to produce better answers by “thinking” through responses through a hidden reasoning feature. The model excels at coding, math, and safety, OpenAI claims, but has issues deceiving humans, too. Using o1 requires subscribing to ChatGPT Plus, which is $20 a month.
Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 3.5
Claude Sonnet 3.5 is a model Anthropic claims as being best in class. It’s become known for its coding capabilities and is considered a tech insider’s chatbot of choice. The model can be accessed for free on Claude although heavy users will need a $20 monthly Pro subscription. While it can understand images, it can’t generate them.
OpenAI GPT 4o-mini
OpenAI has touted GPT 4o-mini as its most affordable and fastest model yet thanks to its small size. It’s meant to enable a broad range of tasks like powering customer service chatbots. The model is available on ChatGPT’s free tier. It’s better suited for high-volume simple tasks compared to more complex ones.
Cohere Command R+
Cohere’s Command R+ model excels at complex Retrieval-Augmented Generation (or RAG) applications for enterprises. That means it can find and cite specific pieces of information really well. (The inventor of RAG actually works at Cohere.) Still, RAG doesn’t fully solve AI’s hallucination problem.
Tech
Not all cancer patients need chemo. Ataraxis AI raised $20M to fix that.
Artificial intelligence is a big trend in cancer care, and it’s mostly focused detecting cancer at the earliest possible stage. That makes a lot of sense, given that cancer is less deadly the earlier it’s detected.
But fewer are asking another fundamental question: if someone does have cancer, is an aggressive treatment like chemotherapy necessary? That’s the problem Ataraxis AI is trying to solve.
The New York-based startup is focused on using AI to accurately predict not only if a patient has cancer, but also what their cancer outcome looks like in 5 to 10 years. If there’s only a small chance of the cancer coming back, chemo can be avoided altogether – saving a lot of money, while avoiding the treatment’s notorious side effects.
Ataraxis AI now plans to launch their first commercial test, for breast cancer, to U.S. oncologists in the coming months, its co-founder Jan Witowski tells TechCrunch. To bolster the launch and expand into other types of cancer, the startup has raised a $20.4 million Series A, it told TechCrunch exclusively.
The round was led by AIX Ventures with participation from Thiel Bio, Founders Fund, Floating Point, Bertelsmann, and existing investors Giant Ventures and Obvious Ventures. Ataraxis emerged from stealth last year with a $4 million seed round.
Ataraxis was co-founded by Witowski and Krzysztof Geras, an assistant professor at NYU’s medical school who focuses on AI.
Ataraxis’ tech is powered by an AI model that extracts information from high-resolution images of cancer cells. The model is trained on hundreds of millions of real images from thousands of patients, Witowski said. A recent study showed Ataraxis’ tech was 30% more accurate than the current standard of care for breast cancer, per Ataraxis.
Long term, Ataraxis has big ambitions. It wants its tests to impact at least half of new cancer cases by 2030. It also views itself as a frontier AI company that builds its own models, touting Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun as an AI advisor.
“I think at Ataraxis we are trying to build what is essentially an AI frontier lab, but for healthcare applications,” Witowski said. “Because so many of those problems require a very novel technology.”
The AI boom has led to a rush of fundraises for cancer care startups. Valar Labs raised $22 million to help patients figure out their treatment plan in May 2024, for example. There’s also a bevvy of AI-powered drug discovery firms in the cancer space, like Manas AI which raised $24.6 million in January 2025 and was co-founded by Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder.
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