Meta (META) just got a major win in Europe. The social media giant has secured approval to train its artificial intelligence models using publicly shared posts and comments from adult users across Facebook and Instagram. For a company under constant regulatory scrutiny, this is a rare green light—and one that could give Meta’s AI models a serious edge in understanding real human behavior, language, and culture.
Meta Gets Access to European Data
Starting April 14, Meta confirmed it can now legally tap into public European content to feed its generative AI models. That includes everything from memes and status updates to sarcastic comment threads—basically, all the weird, messy stuff that makes the internet, well, the internet.
In a blog post, Meta said it needs a wide range of content “to understand the incredible and diverse nuances and complexities that make up European communities.” That includes dialects, humor, and hyper-local culture. What’s off-limits? Anything private—like DMs—and data from users under 18.
Users can opt out via in-app forms and email. But Meta made clear: this type of training has already been happening in other parts of the world. “We’re following the example set by others, including Google and OpenAI,” the company said.
Meta Secures EU Approval after AI Training Pushback
This wasn’t always a done deal. Last summer, Meta was forced to delay its AI rollout after privacy watchdog “None of Your Business” filed complaints across 11 EU countries. The Irish Data Protection Commission stepped in, calling for a pause.
Now, Meta says it’s back on track. The European Data Protection Board has reviewed its methods and given the all-clear. It’s a significant moment, especially after X and Google (GOOGL) faced similar probes for how they used European data to train their models.
Meta’s Legal Pressure Builds Elsewhere
Even with this win, Meta’s legal headaches aren’t over. In separate news, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is pressing an antitrust case that could force Meta to break up its empire—splitting off Instagram or WhatsApp. Analysts like Justin Post at Bank of America still rate the stock a Buy, arguing the risk is long-term and “the company’s multi-app structure will likely remain intact.”
So while Meta is training its AI on European posts, the real test may come in a courtroom much closer to home.
What Is the Target Price for META?
Analysts remain bullish about META stock, with a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 42 Buys, three Holds, and one Sell. Over the past year, META has increased by more than 5%, and the average META price target of $733.67 implies an upside potential of 38% from current levels
