Meta removes terms of use that allowed information gathering from news sites

What happened

In early October 2026, Meta updated its commercial terms. The new text said that companies and famous people with business accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or WhatsApp agree that Meta can crawl the websites linked to those accounts. Critics said this would let Meta copy content from news sites. After the backlash, Meta changed the terms again and deleted the disputed wording.

Key facts

• The first change was announced in early October 2026.
• On October 17, 2026, Meta updated the terms again and removed the word "train" (training AI).
• The terms were set to take effect on October 30.
• Nieman Lab said almost every news group has at least one Meta business account.
• A legal expert said the terms could give Meta access to content that would cost millions of dollars to license.

Background

A web crawler is a program that visits websites and copies their pages. Companies use crawlers to collect information. Website owners can use a file called robots.txt to tell crawlers what they may or may not visit. Meta said it does not change how it uses crawlers. It said the crawling rules only apply to its ads and business products, and that the goal was to get accurate information about products sold on other websites.

Why it matters

Many news sites use Meta accounts to reach readers. If a company can copy their content, it may use that content to train AI tools without paying. The debate shows how hard it is to set clear rules for AI and online content. It also shows that website owners want control over how their work is used.

What to watch

• Whether Meta makes further changes to its crawling rules.
• How news groups use robots.txt settings to block Meta's crawlers.
• Whether publishers or legal experts take action over content use.
• How Meta explains its AI training and ad products in the future.