Meta pauses website scraping terms after publisher backlash

Meta has indefinitely delayed proposed commercial terms that would allow it to scrape websites associated with business accounts, following opposition from publishers, lawmakers and industry groups. The company removed a preview of the changes and said they would not take effect on November 20, 2026. Existing terms remain in force while Meta continues consulting stakeholders.

The proposed terms covered accounts used to manage pages, advertising, marketing messages and other business tools. Legal experts consulted by Nieman Lab concluded that the changes would permit Meta to collect news website content and use it to train AI products. Publishers warned that maintaining access to Meta’s platforms would effectively require them to surrender valuable journalism without compensation, helping develop products that could compete for readers and advertisers.

California Sen. Adam Schiff urged CEO Mark Zuckerberg to abandon the changes, arguing that they threatened intellectual property protections and fair competition. European press associations asked the European Commission to intervene, claiming the proposal violated the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. News/Media Alliance also called for withdrawal and direct discussions with publishers.

Courts in Norway and Brazil issued preliminary injunctions blocking implementation following media organizations’ lawsuits. The United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority opened a formal investigation into whether Meta was abusing its dominant position by imposing exploitative terms on publishers and advertisers.