Is Meta Secretly Scanning Your Phone's Camera Roll? Check This Setting To Find Out

These steps don't activity for me. Why?

The steps above, which I've verified utilizing nan Faebook app for iPhone, whitethorn alteration connected Android devices.

Samsung users, for instance, must do nan following: Open Facebook > Go to Profile/Menu > Tap nan cogwheel icon successful nan precocious correct > Scroll down to "Camera rotation sharing suggestions" and prime it > You'll spot nan 2 camera rotation sharing toggles. 

Definitely spell to Facebook's support hub if you request much help. You fundamentally sewage to find nan Settings and privateness paper successful nan Facebook mobile app, and from there, you tin find "Camera rotation sharing suggestions" and disable nan options. 

Why is Facebook cloud-processing my device's camera roll?

Meta is uploading and analyzing your camera rotation photos and videos, moreover ones you haven't posted, successful its unreality successful bid to make AI-powered suggestions for illustration collages, monthly recaps, themed albums, aliases AI-restyled versions of your images.

Where is this characteristic being tested?

Meta has confirmed nan characteristic is simply a test, saying, "We're exploring ways to make contented sharing easier for group connected Facebook by testing suggestions of ready-to-share and curated contented from a person's camera roll."

The trial is presently disposable successful nan US and Canada, but it's not disposable successful Illinois aliases Texas owed to those states' privateness laws.

Did Facebook inquire for my consent earlier turning this on?

Meta is showing a pop-up asking users if they want to alteration unreality processing, but immoderate users declare they haven't seen it. Instead, they recovered nan toggles successful their settings already switched connected by default, raising questions astir whether clear consent was given.

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

I've asked respective group to cheque whether camera rotation sharing suggestions were enabled successful their Facebook app. Besides myself and ZDNET's editorial director, my partner, in-laws, and galore friends each recovered nan options turned connected without their knowledge. Many users person besides reported connected societal media and successful forum threads, for illustration this 1 connected Y Combinator, that nan settings were enabled for them. 

Some group callback seeing a pop-up from Facebook, while others do not. But astir everyone said they did not recognize they were allowing entree to their camera rotation data. They besides said they would not person allowed it if they had known.

Can I region my photos erstwhile they've been uploaded?

ZDNET's sister site, CNET, reports that Meta pulls from your newer pictures (roughly nan past 30 days) and if you disable nan feature, your uploaded photos will beryllium deleted aft 30 days. The only measurement to corroborate is by downloading your Facebook relationship data.

Why is this a imaginable privateness issue?

It expands Meta's scope beyond nan contented you've chosen to upload and stock online -- into your private, unposted photos and videos. For many, that's a awesome reddish emblem and a statement they're not comfortable crossing, understandably so.

Also: What Zuckerberg's 'personal superintelligence' income transportation leaves out

Even if Meta is asking for consent to entree your camera rotation successful bid to analyse your phone's photos and supply AI-powered suggestions, nan institution could person done a amended occupation of being clear and definitive astir what it's trying to do.

How galore users, for illustration me, simply dismissed nan consent pop-up without afloat realizing what they'd conscionable agreed to?

Editor's note: This article was past updated connected Sept. 2, 2025 to explain steps for Android users. It was besides updated connected Aug. 24 to corroborate that Meta's camera rotation sharing suggestions are not turned connected by default and are wholly opt-in. Still, immoderate users opportunity they ne'er knowingly agreed and are uncovering nan features enabled successful their settings.