Meta pauses disputed terms-of-service changes after court and regulator intervention
Meta has fully paused the planned change to its business terms, which was to allow automatic collection of content from websites linked to business accounts for AI purposes. The decision came after an injunction from a Norwegian court and the launch of an investigation by the UK's CMA.
Meta has paused the planned update to its business terms (Meta Commercial Terms, Product Catalog Terms, Self-Serve Ad Terms, and Ad Creative Generative AI Terms), which was due to take effect on 20 November 2026 following an earlier delay from the original date of 30 October. According to Meta, the changes are "paused and will not take effect," and the company continues to engage with stakeholders. The decision came after legal action in Norway, where a court, at the request of the Norwegian Media Businesses' Association and 180 Norwegian media outlets, issued a temporary injunction against the new terms, and after the UK's Competition and Markets Authority announced it would launch its own investigation.
The dispute concerned a clause under which Meta could use automated tools (web scrapers, bots, crawlers) to access content on websites linked to business accounts, index and collect their content, and use it to "provide, develop, improve, research, train, and maintain the integrity" of its products. Legal experts cited by Nieman Lab pointed out that the wording did not allow for opting out while continuing to use the services, and that, according to some interpretations, it could override instructions in the robots.txt file. Meta repeatedly denied that the behavior of its web crawlers would change, and claimed that the terms applied only to advertising and business products.
After the first wave of criticism, Meta removed the word "train" from the list of permitted uses and narrowed the scope to "advertising and business products," instead of the original reference to all Meta products. However, lawyers pointed out that the remaining wording about "developing" products could, depending on interpretation, still include AI training, since the term "business product" was not defined. Sources agree that the cited disputed passage about training was removed from the public business terms page, but they differ in their assessment of whether Meta actually restricted its ability to use website content for AI as a result.
Why it matters
For companies and publishers with a Meta business account, the risk was that their website content could be automatically collected and used to develop or train AI products without the option to consent, with the only alternative being to stop using Meta products. The intervention by the Norwegian court and the UK CMA's investigation show that regulators and courts are willing to halt such terms, which gives publishers and companies a precedent and time to prepare a legal defense should Meta return to a similar change.
What was added since the original report
Verified updates
-
Meta has halted/paused the planned change to its business terms; A Norwegian court issued a temporary injunction against the new terms; The UK's CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) launched its own investigation; The original effective date was moved from 30 October to 20 November, and the change is now halted; Legal and regulatory authorities from multiple countries (Norway, United Kingdom) became involved in the matter
- Meta has halted/paused the planned change to its business terms
- A Norwegian court issued a temporary injunction against the new terms
- The UK's CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) launched its own investigation
- The original effective date was moved from 30 October to 20 November, and the change is now halted
- Legal and regulatory authorities from multiple countries (Norway, United Kingdom) became involved in the matter
-
The amended terms still allow the use of content to develop Meta's products.; According to lawyers consulted, the remaining authorization may include AI training as well as the collection of content from entire affiliated websites.; Meta claims that the update does not grant new rights that override robots.txt preferences.
- The amended terms still allow the use of content to develop Meta's products.
- According to lawyers consulted, the remaining authorization may include AI training as well as the collection of content from entire affiliated websites.
- Meta claims that the update does not grant new rights that override robots.txt preferences.
-
Meta stated that the terms in question applied only to advertising and business products.
-
Following criticism, Meta removed the disputed passage from the business terms.; The cited passage is no longer on the business terms page.
- Following criticism, Meta removed the disputed passage from the business terms.
- The cited passage is no longer on the business terms page.
-
According to the wording of the new article, the terms do not explicitly mention AI; the article infers its use for AI training.; The change is to apply to all business accounts.
- According to the wording of the new article, the terms do not explicitly mention AI; the article infers its use for AI training.
- The change is to apply to all business accounts.
Relevant practical impact
What this means
For a business
Companies and publishers with a Meta business account were at risk that Meta could automatically collect content from their linked websites and use it to develop or train AI products, with no opt-out option available while continuing to use the service; following intervention by a Norwegian court and an investigation by the UK CMA, this change has been temporarily halted, but the risk could return.
Risks and complianceCheck the original
Event sources
confirmed by 3 independent sources · 3 publishers, 3 independent. We count feeds from the same owner only once.