Based on information from Security Affairs, Meta is set to implement new commercial terms on Oct. 30, 2026, that will allow the company to collect content from websites associated with its business customers for AI model training and product improvement.
Meta broadly defines "business customer" to include any entity using its advertising, sales, app development, or business management tools. The updated terms authorize Meta, or third parties acting on its behalf, to use automated tools like web scrapers and bots to access, index, and collect content from associated websites. This collected content may then be used to provide, develop, improve, research, train, and maintain the integrity of Meta's products and services. The News/Media Alliance has strongly criticized these terms, calling them "outrageous and probably illegal" and an abuse of market power, arguing that businesses have no option to opt out without ceasing to use Meta's platforms. The Alliance also raised concerns about the potential for copyrighted material from various businesses, including news publishers and artists, to be scraped. While Meta reportedly plans to allow businesses to control crawler access via robots.txt files, the contract itself does not explicitly guarantee this, leaving businesses reliant on Meta's discretion.
Source: Security Affairs
