Meta updates commercial terms

Meta has updated its commercial terms to allow the scraping of online content for use in training its artificial intelligence systems. This change was introduced in October 2026 and was originally set to take effect at the end of the month but was delayed until November 20 after facing significant opposition.

European users have legal recourse

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), European users have the right to object to their data being used in this way. This includes content posted on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp by users with professional accounts.

Professional accounts are affected

The new terms apply to all accounts used for professional purposes on Meta’s platforms. This includes managing pages, sending marketing messages, and using Meta Business Suite. A single professional profile or page is enough to trigger the new scraping rules.

Lawyers analyze the terms

Three legal experts reviewed the updated terms at the beginning of October 2026. According to a report by Nieman Lab published on October 15, 2026, the language in the terms could allow Meta to scrape content from news websites and train its AI on publishers’ texts.

Meta disputes the interpretation

Meta’s spokesperson, Andy Stone, dismissed this interpretation as incorrect, stating on X that the company only intends to scrape product listings. However, the lawyers consulted believe the terms grant Meta broader permissions than what the company claims.