Around 150 writers, journalists and translators protested on Tuesday 29 September outside the Pakhuis in Amsterdam, where Meta has its office.
They object to their texts being used without permission to train AI language models, and they are calling for transparency, fair payment and a say in how their work is used.
The protest was organised by the Auteursbond, Stichting Lira and the journalists’ union NVJ.
They say Meta trains its Llama models partly on illegal collections of books and articles known as shadow libraries.
Speakers said writers receive nothing for this use and have no idea what else happens to their work.
Court case to follow
The organisations had already asked Meta to stop, without result, and the protest marked the start of a collective lawsuit.
They will ask the court to rule that training on works from shadow libraries is not allowed, and to bar Meta from offering models trained that way.
Several protesters also said they fear for their income, as clients increasingly hand work to AI tools.
If the case raises questions about your own rights as a writer, you can find a lawyer in Amsterdam through our directory.