Meta may delay updated business terms again

Meta may delay its updated business terms beyond November 20 as it consults publishers and industry groups over concerns about artificial intelligence training, according to The Verge. The terms were previously delayed from October 30 to November 20.

Meta communications head Andy Stone said in a post on X that the company does “not plan to make policy changes without a full consultation with industry groups and leaders.” He said the consultation could continue beyond November 20, which would lead Meta to delay implementation again. The company’s existing terms will remain in place in the meantime.

The updated terms initially appeared to allow Meta to train its AI models on news sites that use Facebook and Instagram. Meta later removed wording that said it could “train” its products on content scraped from those sites. However, legal experts told Nieman Lab that the revision still did not rule out that possibility.

Meta said it had heard publishers’ feedback on the proposed update and was “committed to getting this right.” The News/Media Alliance also opposed the changes. Lawmakers from both parties raised concerns: Sen. Marsha Blackburn said the terms indicated Meta was “attempting to exploit American creators and businesses,” while Sen. Adam Schiff urged the company to reverse the change.