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Spanish prosecutors said Thursday that they were investigating Facebook owner Meta over suspicions it breached data-protection laws by using users’ data to train its AI programme.

Meta had already said last month it was suspending the use of such data for training its generative artificial intelligence service in the European Union, following complaints in 11 countries.

State prosecutors at Spain’s main national court said in a statement they had received “massive” numbers of complaints over the issue from users of Facebook and Instagram, another popular social media platform owned by Meta.

The users complained “that information shared in its products and services… is going to be used by Meta to develop and improve its AI”, the statement said.

It added that prosecutors were seeking to protect users’ “personal data” and would consult the Spanish data-protection authority about possible measures.

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