Authors prepare legal action against Meta
More than 150 writers, journalists and translators protested in Amsterdam against AI training using their work.
Dutch writers, journalists and translators protested at Meta’s office in Amsterdam against the use of their texts for AI models. The organisations behind the action are preparing a collective legal case and demanding transparency, a say and compensation.
More than 150 creators gathered on Tuesday at Meta’s Dutch headquarters. The action was organised by Stichting Lira, the Auteursbond and the Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten. They accuse Meta of using texts from so-called shadow libraries to train language models, without permission or compensation.
The organisations say many creators cannot establish whether their work has ended up in training datasets. In their view, this lack of transparency makes it difficult to protect individual rights. Their campaign is aimed not only at Meta, but also at the broader way in which technology companies use text, translations and journalism as raw material for AI.
The demonstrators submitted their demands at the Amsterdam office. According to the Auteursbond, a security guard accepted the documents, but no conversation with a spokesperson took place. AT5 likewise reported that the campaigners received no direct solution from Meta. Meta’s substantive response to the allegations is not included in the public sources consulted.
Lira, the Auteursbond and the NVJ want the courts to establish that training AI models with works from illegal data sources is not permitted. They are also seeking a ban on offering models that were partly trained in this way. According to the initiators, the proceedings should pave the way for a collective arrangement for freelance creators.
Such an arrangement should include agreements on compensation, a say and openness about the texts used. The organisations expect individual authors to have little bargaining power against large technology companies. Collective representation should improve that balance of power and prevent every creator from having to sue separately.
The legal question has not yet been answered. The fact that texts are available online or originate from an illegal source does not in itself determine whether a company was allowed to use them for AI training. The court will have to assess, among other things, which datasets were used, which rights apply to them and how European copyright law applies to this form of machine learning.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Dutch creators protested at Meta.
- The organisations involved are preparing a collective legal case.
- The legal permissibility of using training data has not yet been established.
- The organisations are calling for transparency, a say and compensation.
Left
Arguments AI companies should not treat creative work as free raw material. Creators must be able to negotiate collectively over permission and payment, because individual authors have little power against multinationals.
Values Workers’ rights, cultural diversity and the fair distribution of economic value.
Consequences Stricter rules could make AI development more expensive, but this view holds that they protect the income base of writers and independent journalism.
Centre
Arguments There is a need for a workable licensing and transparency arrangement that does not block innovation while giving rights holders insight into datasets and their use. The courts and regulators should clarify the boundaries.
Values Legal certainty, proportionate regulation and scope for technological development.
Consequences A collective system could reduce conflicts, but it must remain workable for both creators and smaller developers.
Right
Arguments AI can generate new products and economic growth; copyright should not be applied in such a way that every form of data processing becomes impossible. Companies must nevertheless be able to demonstrate that they are acting within the law.
Values Innovation, entrepreneurship and limited but clear regulation.
Consequences An excessively strict ban could put European companies at a disadvantage, while a lack of transparency increases legal and reputational risks.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The demonstration, the organisations involved and the planned collective proceedings have been confirmed by multiple public sources. Legal characterisations have been presented as the campaigners’ positions; there is not yet a definitive judgement on Meta.
- confirmed More than 150 creators protested at Meta in Amsterdam. — The Auteursbond mentions more than 150 participants; AT5 describes the same action. source
- confirmed Lira, the Auteursbond and the NVJ are preparing collective proceedings against Meta. — This is stated in the campaign information and reporting on the protest. source
- confirmed The organisations are demanding transparency, a say and compensation. — These three demands are explicitly mentioned by the organisations involved. source
- confirmed The campaigners did not speak to a Meta spokesperson. — The Auteursbond and AT5 report that the demands were submitted at the office without a direct solution. source
- confirmed It has not yet been legally established that Meta used Dutch works unlawfully. — The sources cited describe this as an allegation and an announced legal case, not as a judicial ruling. source
Editor's note
It is certain that the action took place and that Lira, the Auteursbond and the NVJ are preparing collective proceedings. Whether Meta actually used specific Dutch works and whether that was unlawful remains to be established.Sources
- ‘Tengels af van onze teksten!’: ruim 150 mensen bij AI-protest voor de deur van Facebook — Auteursbond
- Schrijvers protesteren bij Meta tegen gebruik teksten — AT5
- Schrijvers en journalisten in actie tegen Meta — WNL
- Dutch writers and journalists demand that Meta ends illegal use of their texts — Auteursbond
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „meta auteursrecht”
- NU.nl — „meta auteursrecht”
- De Telegraaf — „meta auteursrecht”