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Meta Removes Controversial Scraping Language from Terms

Meta Removes Controversial Scraping Language from Terms

First seen 17 Oct 2026, 22:08 UTC • •
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ThreatCluster AI
ThreatCluster •October 18, 2026 at 20:08 UTC
  • •Meta removed language from its terms that allowed scraping of content from business accounts.
  • •The change was made in response to backlash from publishers and legal experts.
  • •Meta clarified that the update does not change its web crawling practices.

Meta has updated its commercial terms of use to remove language that suggested it could scrape content from business accounts, including news sites, to train its AI. This change follows backlash from publishers and legal experts who expressed concerns about the implications for content scraping and AI training. The removed language indicated that Meta could use any content from business accounts' domains for various purposes, including research and development. A Meta spokesperson clarified that the terms did not change how the company crawls the web. The removal of the language aims to address concerns raised by publishers and legal experts regarding potential misuse of content. The updated terms were published on 2026-10-17, coinciding with the articles' release dates.

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Timeline

2026-10-17
Meta updates terms of use
Meta removed language that suggested it could scrape content from business accounts for AI training.
Techcrunch
2026-10-17
Backlash leads to term removal
Publishers and legal experts expressed concerns over Meta's scraping practices, prompting the update.
Theverge

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Common questions

What language was removed from Meta's terms?
Meta removed language that allowed it to scrape content from business accounts for AI training.
Why was this change made?
The change was made in response to backlash from publishers and legal experts concerned about content scraping.
Does this change affect how Meta crawls the web?
Meta stated that the removal of the language does not change how it uses web crawlers.