A growing number of users across Europe are raising concerns about Meta’s recently launched AI assistant, which has quietly appeared in the form of a bright blue-and-pink circle across popular apps including WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.

The AI feature, which has been rolling out gradually since March, has not gone unnoticed — and not for the right reasons. Many users have expressed frustration at its default integration, particularly because the assistant cannot be disabled or removed.

Some have described the feature as intrusive, questioning why it was introduced without clear consent. “Essentially, Meta is forcing this new feature upon users and trying to avoid what would be the lawful path forward, asking users for their consent,” said Kleanthi Sardeli, a data protection lawyer with the privacy rights group NOYB.

Meta AI, as the feature is called, functions as a chatbot built on the company’s proprietary large language model, LLaMA. It’s designed to assist users with everyday queries, from planning trips to answering questions within chats. Meta claims the tool is a helpful digital assistant to “add fun” and solve problems in real time.

Despite this, the rollout has prompted a backlash. On Reddit and other forums, users have shared their dissatisfaction, particularly over the inability to opt out of the assistant. Some have attempted to downgrade their app versions to avoid it — a workaround that experts warn could introduce security risks.

European lawmakers are also starting to take notice. MEP Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová has asked the European Commission whether the deployment complies with existing EU privacy regulations. The core of the criticism centers on Meta’s “opt-in by default” approach to using user data for training AI systems — a move some experts say may breach the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Sardeli argues that Meta hasn’t been transparent enough with users about how their data is being processed or for what purposes. “Meta has an obligation to inform its users about exactly what it does with their personal data, an obligation which it is currently trying its best to avoid,” she said.

While the AI assistant cannot be fully removed, WhatsApp users can mute the AI chat manually. Additionally, European users have the option to object to their data being used for training purposes through a request form provided by Meta.

Launched first in the United States in September 2023, the assistant is now available in multiple languages across Europe, including French, German, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, and is also being integrated into Ray-Ban smart glasses in select countries.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, Meta’s rollout of AI tools highlights the delicate balance between innovation and user privacy — and whether tech giants can maintain user trust in an age of rapid AI integration.