Meta's updated terms let it scrape publisher sites for free AI training
Meta's new commercial terms, effective Oct. 30, permit the company to crawl and harvest content from websites linked to business accounts, including news publishers, for use in its AI systems.
Starting on Oct. 30, Meta's revised commercial terms give the firm permission to employ bots, crawlers and similar software to collect and cache content from any domain tied to a business account that runs ads on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Messenger. This includes the webpages of online publishers, meaning Meta can use the material to develop, improve, research and train its artificial-intelligence offerings without a separate licensing agreement.
The move expands on earlier licensing arrangements Meta struck with outlets like several outlets and People Inc., potentially giving the company access to a far broader swath of news content. Businesses that do not accept the new conditions may be barred from using Meta's platforms for commercial purposes. The policy change coincides with the introduction of a Meta One subscription that charges creators and brands for embedding links, effectively letting Meta charge for link placement while harvesting the linked content for free. Meta has not responded to requests for comment.
Why it matters
The terms could let Meta train AI on news content without paying publishers, reshaping media revenue and data-use norms.
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