Meta removes language that raised scraping and AI training concerns

In Brief Posted: PM PDT · October 17, 2026 : picture alliance / Contributor (opens in a new window) / 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 , 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 Get 50% off a second pass Cover more ground at TechCrunch’s ultimate founder bootcamp of the year -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.