Meta's New Terms Force Businesses to Allow AI Data Collection
October 19, 2026 · 2 min read
Also published in Português (Brasil)
Meta has revised its commercial usage terms, causing controversy among businesses, media outlets, and public figures. Under the new terms, which come into effect on October 30, companies or media outlets with business accounts on Meta platforms are considered to have consented to the collection of their website data for artificial intelligence (AI) training purposes by Meta.
According to Nieman Lab and other foreign media, Meta announced the updates through its Business Help Center and Meta Business Suite earlier this month. The updated terms include extensive provisions regarding web crawling and data collection, allowing Meta to access and collect content associated with users' products or services using automated software such as web scrapers, bots, and crawlers.
A major concern is the lack of an opt-out option for users. Meta has informed users that they must completely cease access and use of its products for business or commercial purposes if they do not agree to the new regulations.
Nieman Lab warns that, considering nearly all news outlets utilize Meta business accounts for promotion, valuable news content could be unwittingly used as training data for Meta's AI. Experts have raised alarms regarding the implications of these terms. Media and intellectual property attorney Matt Topic, who analyzed the terms for Nieman Lab, stated that Meta has quietly integrated terms that allow it to access content worth millions of dollars without compensation.
James Grimmelmann, a digital information law professor, highlighted the predicament for media outlets, stating that they must either trust Meta's intentions in building a comprehensive archive or delete their business accounts. As the controversy grows, Nieman Lab has reached out to Meta for clarification, but the company has declined to answer specific questions. However, a Meta spokesperson explained that the technical provisions regarding crawling were already dispersed across various policies and that this update merely consolidates them.