Artists who tried to use Meta’s data deletion form say they received the same response: Meta could not process their requests without evidence that their personal information appeared in the company’s generative AI outputs. The process has left them questioning whether the form offers any practical control over how their work is used.
A request form with a narrow scope
As generative AI expands, artists and writers have pushed companies to explain how their work enters training data and to give people a say in its use. Some companies have introduced ways to request that work be excluded from future models. Meta’s form, introduced in August, was also understood by some as an opt-out route.
But Meta says the form does not let people opt out of information from its own products and services being used to train its AI models. Spokesperson Thomas Richards told WIRED that Meta does not currently offer such a feature. The distinction matters: submitting a request is not the same as instructing a company to stop using information.
The form concerns certain information from third-party sources. Meta says people may be able to object to some of that information depending on where they live, and that it reviews requests under local laws. Richards also said a request does not mean the information will automatically be removed from AI training models.
Artists say the process puts the burden on them
To pursue a request, people are asked to show that their personal information appears in responses from Meta’s generative AI. That requirement can be difficult to meet when Meta has not disclosed the specifics of the data used to train its models. A person must first work out what to ask the AI and then produce an output that serves as evidence.
Artists described repeated attempts and boilerplate replies. Illustrator Mignon Zakuga called the process “horrible.” Romanian digital artist and photographer Mihaela Voicu, who tried twice, said it felt like “a bad joke” and believed the process was not intended to help people.
Colorado-based conceptual artist Bethany Berg said numerous attempts to delete her data led to the same “unable to process request” response. She said the experience made her feel the form was “just a fake PR stunt to make it look like they were actually trying to do something.”
Requests are not guaranteed removals
Meta’s explanation leaves the form with a limited role. It may allow some people to ask for certain third-party information to be removed, subject to applicable local rules. It does not promise deletion, and the company says it has no intention of removing information found within its own platforms through this form.
The distinction between “request” and “opt out” is central. An opt-out implies a usable choice to exclude information from future training. Meta says it does not provide that feature, and a submitted request does not ensure that third-party information will be removed from models.
Meta cited the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation as an example of a law under which people might exercise data subject rights. The company did not provide further details on how the request process works across jurisdictions.
What remains unclear
WIRED said it could not locate anyone who had successfully had data deleted through the form. Meta did not provide figures on how many requests it had fulfilled. Richards also said the company had no plans for an opt-out program in the future.
For artists seeking control over the use of their work, the gap between submitting a request and obtaining removal remains unresolved. The form offers a possible route for some third-party information, but the evidence requirement and lack of guaranteed outcomes make its practical value uncertain.
The episode highlights a broader challenge in AI data governance: a process can accept requests without giving people a clear or dependable way to change how their material is used. Without transparent information about training data or a defined path to removal, artists may struggle to establish whether their work was included and what they can do about it.