Meta removes language that raised scraping and AI training concerns
In Brief Posted: 2:31 PM PDT · October 17, 2026 Image Credits:picture alliance / Contributor (opens in a new window) / Getty Images Anthony Ha Meta removes language that raised scraping and AI training concerns Meta recently updated its commercial terms of use, declaring that the company can “use…
Annons
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In Brief Posted: 2:31 PM PDT · October 17, 2026 Image Credits:picture alliance / Contributor (opens in a new window) / Getty Images Anthony Ha Meta removes language that raised scraping and AI training concerns Meta recently updated its commercial terms of use, declaring that the company can “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. According to legal experts interviewed by Nieman Lab, this looked like a “remarkable provision” that could give Meta permission to scrape the website of any publisher with a Meta business account and use the content to train the company’s AI models. (While Meta defeated a high-profile lawsuit over alleged copyright infringement last year, other cases against AI companies, including Meta, continue.) However, a Meta spokesperson insisted that the updated terms did not reflect a change in the way Meta crawls the web. And now, The Verge reports that the provision has been removed. “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,” the company said in a statement. “It does not change how Meta uses web crawlers.” Topics AI, Meta, Social November 4 Boston Get 50% off a second passCover more ground at TechCrunch’s ultimate founder bootcamp of the year by bringing your co-founder or partner. Save 50% off a second pass. Meet scaling and investment leaders, ask questions, find solutions, and more.Last day to save Oct. 16 Register Now Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news Related AI Anthropic says its workforce has become less junior and is spending more time in meetings Anthony Ha 9 hours ago AI Replit makes OpenAI its default over Anthropic, CEO says Kirsten Korosec Lucas Ropek Rebecca Bellan 10 hours ago Latest in Social In Brief Meta removes language that raised scraping and AI training concerns Anthony Ha 8 hours ago In Brief TikTok permanently bans ‘Musk’ documentary advertising account Anthony Ha 8 hours ago Apps Bluesky wants to make it easier to buy, sell, and fundraise on the network Aisha Malik 2 days ago