Meta removes language that may have allowed it to scrape news sites

Meta has once again revised its commercial terms after criticism, removing a clause that implied the company could harvest content from websites, including news sites, to train its AI systems. The deleted wording suggested that Meta could use any material from domains, pages or URLs to “develop, improve, research, train and maintain the integrity” of its products and services. Experts from Neiman Lab and Cornell professor James Grimmelmann had read that language as an implicit permission for large‑scale scraping of editorial content, raising concerns among publishers and copyright advocates.

By deleting the clause, Meta aims to clarify that it does not possess a broad right to automatically reuse third‑party material in its AI models. The company has not announced further changes to its data‑collection practices, but the move responds to public pressure and increasing regulatory scrutiny over data use in algorithm training.

This update matters because it shapes the relationship between tech platforms and the media, setting clearer limits on how content can be employed in AI development. Clearer terms help protect creators’ rights and reduce legal disputes that could otherwise slow innovation in the sector.

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