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Meta removes commercial terms clause that raised scraping and AI-training concerns

Meta removed a terms clause experts said could allow scraping publisher sites for AI training; crawler use unchanged.

AI News Feed · 2026-10-18 07:43

According to TechCrunch AI’s account, the earlier terms said Meta could “use any content from [a business account’s] domains, web pages, or URLs to provide, develop, improve, research, train, and maintain the integrity of” Meta products and services. Legal experts interviewed by Nieman Lab described the language as a “remarkable provision” that could give Meta permission to scrape the site of any publisher holding a Meta business account and use the material for AI training.

Meta disputed that interpretation. A company spokesperson said the updated terms did not reflect a change in how Meta crawls the web. After the provision drew attention, Meta removed it, The Verge reported.

In a statement, Meta said: “We’ve heard you and want to clarify: the crawling terms we consolidated only applied to our ads and business products, and we’ve clarified that in the terms themselves. It does not change how Meta uses web crawlers.”

The removal came as AI companies face continuing litigation over the use of copyrighted material. Meta defeated a high-profile copyright infringement lawsuit last year, according to TechCrunch AI, while other cases against AI companies, including Meta, continue.