“Does Meta think we can’t read?” Meta abandons sketchy commercial terms update.
Meta has halted a planned update to its commercial terms that would have allowed the company to crawl linked websites for artificial intelligence training. Following intense public backlash, regulatory pressure, and scrutiny from officials in Norway and Brazil, the tech giant pulled down the controversial preview link and kept its existing rules in place. The changes initially faced heavy criticism from Facebook page owners, local news publishers, and internet users who argued the policy forced them to permit content scraping.
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- ✓ Meta has paused a business terms update that would have let it crawl linked websites for AI training.
- ✓ Existing terms remain in effect following the pause.
- ✓ The company indefinitely delayed plans to update its commercial terms following widespread public backlash.
What changed
Meta indefinitely delayed its planned commercial terms update and removed the preview link after facing widespread criticism and regulatory rulings.
Live updates
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Meta pauses controversial commercial terms update for AI training
Meta has halted a planned update to its commercial terms that would have allowed the company to crawl linked websites for artificial intelligence training. Following intense public backlash, regulatory pressure, and scrutiny from officials in Norway and Brazil, the tech giant pulled down the controversial preview link and kept its existing rules in place. The changes initially faced heavy criticism from Facebook page owners, local news publishers, and internet users who argued the policy forced them to permit content scraping.
Why it matters
The update would have altered how Facebook and Instagram operate by forcing page owners to permit AI training on their linked content. Critics warned the policy posed a significant threat to local news and publishers across the web. Meta ultimately stepped back after weeks of intense opposition and failed attempts to quell public outcry.
What is confirmed
- Meta has paused a business terms update that would have let it crawl linked websites for AI training.
- Existing terms remain in effect following the pause.
- The company indefinitely delayed plans to update its commercial terms following widespread public backlash.
What to watch next
- Any future announcements or modifications from Meta regarding business terms updates and AI training policies.
- Further regulatory actions or rulings from authorities in Norway and Brazil concerning Meta scraping practices.
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (14)
- arstechnica.com — Ars Technica - Serving the Technologist since 1998. News, reviews, and ...
- www.niemanlab.org — The “Kornacki Cam” was the number one election livestream on YouTube
- arstechnica.com — “Does Meta think we can’t read?” Meta abandons sketchy commercial terms update.
- Ars Technica — “Does Meta think we can’t read?” Meta abandons sketchy commercial terms update.
- Nieman Lab — Meta pulls down controversial terms of service
- The Seattle Times — Here we go again: Meta’s new rules put local news at risk | Opinion
- The Independent — Meta U-turns on incredibly controversial change to how Instagram and Facebook would work
- Reuters — Meta pauses planned terms updates, keeps existing rules in place
- framablog.org — Khrys’presso du lundi 9 novembre 2026 – Framablog
- pollar.news — Meta pauses business terms that let it crawl linked websites
- www.bnewso.com — News: “Does Meta think we can’t read?” Meta abandons sketchy ...
- aiweekly.co — Meta Pauses Nov 20 Scraping Terms After Norway, Brazil ...
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