Meta Platforms Inc. on November 5 paused new business terms that would have allowed it to use automated software to crawl websites linked to businesses on its platforms, following significant pushback from regulators and publishers.
The temporary halt came after the terms, initially previewed in October 2026, drew criticism for potentially enabling Meta to leverage crawled data to provide, develop, improve, research, train and maintain its products.
A court in Oslo, Norway, temporarily banned Meta from enforcing the terms until their legality could be determined, according to reports. This action followed a case brought by 10 Norwegian media groups, including NRK and Schibsted.
The United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) also initiated a formal investigation into whether Meta’s commercial terms violated competition law, the regulator announced.
Publishers and various organizations expressed concerns that the terms could grant Meta broad access to proprietary content, potentially affecting their revenue streams and control over intellectual property.
Meta has a history of implementing policy changes that have significantly affected businesses operating on its platforms. In 2018, the company reduced News Feed reach for publishers, affecting content distribution.
More recently, Meta removed news content in Canada in 2023 in response to new legislation, affecting information access for users and publishers in the region.
The company also altered shop functionalities between 2023 and 2025, prompting businesses to adapt their e-commerce strategies on Facebook and Instagram.
Industry analysts, including those from No Hacks and BigCommerce, advised businesses to anticipate that Meta’s terms may not improve and to invest in diverse customer acquisition channels beyond Meta’s ecosystem.
The ongoing tensions underscore a broader global debate between major technology companies and businesses or regulators regarding data usage, platform control and market competition.
Source: Search Engine Journal
