Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is facing accusations of “digital piracy” over proposed rules that critics say could allow it to take British publishers’ content for artificial intelligence development.
As pressure mounts on the UK competition regulator to step in, opponents warn that the Silicon Valley company’s plans could undermine trusted journalism and create more space for a “cesspit” of online misinformation.
The concerns centre on proposed changes to Meta’s terms and conditions. Critics fear the revised rules would grant the technology giant broad permission to “scrape” content from any UK publisher using its platforms.
The material could include articles and other content hosted away from Meta, including on a publisher’s own website, unless the organisation actively opts out through a digital “off” switch.
Opponents argue, however, that the opt-out mechanism may not offer a reliable safeguard. They warn Meta’s move could mark the beginning of a much broader transfer of publishers’ content without proper consent or payment.
Critics say the only guaranteed way for publishers to avoid the proposed rules would be to delete their accounts on Meta’s platforms altogether. That could carry a major financial cost, since Facebook and Instagram send significant numbers of readers to news websites.
There are also fears that abandoning the platforms would reduce users’ access to reliable, fact-checked reporting from established publishers. At the same time, Meta could be left to train its AI systems on material from sources that may be less accurate or trustworthy.
Meta rejects the claim that the proposed changes are intended to scrape news websites for AI training. The company says the rules relate only to the way advertising is shown on its services and to checks ensuring that adverts provide accurate information, including details such as changing prices.
Critics fear Meta’s proposed terms for Facebook, Instagram and other services would give it expanded rights to “scrape” content from any UK publisher using its platforms
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is also facing challenges to the proposed terms from publishers in the United States and Europe
The dispute intensified on Tuesday when peers debated the issue in the House of Lords. They warned that British news organisations could soon be forced to choose between “surrendering their journalism” to Meta and withdrawing from its platforms.
The technology company was also accused of abusing its dominant position in the global market.
The Competition and Markets Authority is examining Meta’s proposed changes. Similar concerns have been raised by publishers in Europe and the US, where the terms are also facing challenges.
Facing mounting opposition, Meta has postponed the introduction of the new rules until November 20.
Danny Groom, chief executive and publisher of the Daily Mail, has spearheaded calls for the CMA to intervene before that deadline arrives.
He said: “This is the clearest example yet of technology giants’ determination to exploit news publishers and take their content while showing complete disregard for its value and fair use.
“Governments must recognise the damage this new form of digital piracy could cause, along with the very real threat it poses not only to news publishers around the world but to the wider digital ecosystem.
“Meta’s move is entirely unacceptable and must be opposed and challenged at every stage.”
Danny Groom, chief executive and publisher of the Daily Mail, has led calls for the CMA to intervene over Meta’s proposed rules
Dame Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative chair of the Commons digital, culture and media committee, warned the changes could “allow disinformation to flourish”
Theo Bamber, boss of News Media Association, which represents most national, regional and local UK publishers, said: ‘Meta’s disgraceful attempt to force publishers to give up all their journalism for AI scraping is nothing short of a war on the truth.
‘If Meta doesn’t change course, Facebook risks becoming a cesspit of unchallenged mis and disinformation, plunging our information ecosystem into chaos.
‘We need regulators across the globe, including the Competition and Markets Authority here in the UK, to act now to protect consumers from this disastrous outcome.’
Dame Caroline Dinenage, Tory chair of the Commons’ digital, culture and media committee, said: ‘This risks not only undermining the commercial value of journalism, but could also allow disinformation to flourish if publishers decide to pull their accounts from Meta platforms.’
Former Tory tech minister Damian Collins said: ‘Meta’s proposals appear to be an abuse of market power.
‘It is telling businesses that if they use its social media and advertising services, Meta can scrape their websites and use what it finds, for free. No choice, no fee.
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‘This would be a hammer blow to the sustainability of news providers and publishers.
‘It’s like using Dulux to paint your front door, then being told they also get a key to your house and can help themselves to whatever they find inside.’
Crossbench peer Baroness Kidron added: ‘This exposes the truth in what the creative industries have been battling against.
‘It is an assault against those who imagine, create and build the culture and public conversation of the UK.
‘Making theft of all intellectual and creative ideas the condition of using a service is nothing more than a licence to steal.’
During the Lords debate, Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones led a cross-party backlash.
Former Tory tech minister Damian Collins said the proposed changes were like ‘using Dulux to paint your front door, then being told they also get a key to your house and can help themselves to whatever they find inside’
Tory peer Baroness Harding of Winscombe said in a Lords debate that UK publishers will be ‘forced to choose between surrendering their journalism or leaving Meta’s platforms’
Baroness Ramsey, responding for the Government in a Lords debate, said ‘The CMA recognises the urgency of this matter’
He said: ‘The terms seem to actually let Meta get around paywalls and technical blocks. And the only way out is for publishers to close the Meta business accounts their advertising depends on.’
Tory peer Baroness Harding of Winscombe said: ‘When Meta withdrew news from its platforms in Canada in response to legislation requiring them to pay for it, the gap was filled with disinformation.
‘If UK publishers are forced to choose between surrendering their journalism or leaving Meta’s platforms, what assessment has the government made of the consequences for our public discourse and our society?’
Labour peer Lord Brennan of Canton added: ‘Can I urge the minister to be robust on this matter and for the government to use all the powers at its disposal to stop what essentially is an abuse of market power by Meta and a threat to trusted journalism.’
Baroness Ramsey, responding for the Government said: ‘The CMA recognises the urgency of this matter, particularly for businesses that rely on Meta services to reach their customers.
‘A delay does not resolve the questions raised by the effect of the new terms. We understand that the CMA is engaging directly with Meta to establish the facts.’
Meta’s proposed changes would ‘authorise’ it ‘or any entity acting on our behalf’ to ‘use automated software’ to ‘access, index, cache, analyse, collect, retrieve or crawl the domains, web pages or URLs (and any content available through them)’ that are linked to users’ ‘products or services’.
It adds: ‘Meta may use any content from such domains, web pages or URLs to provide, develop, improve, research, train and maintain the integrity of, the Meta Company Products, services and features provided under these Commercial Terms and any other applicable supplemental terms.’
Meta has since removed the word ‘train’. However, critics argue retention of the word ‘develop’ could still allow it to use scraped material to improve its AI models.
Such models are capable of pulling together information for web users from a wide range of sources, including news websites, and displaying them in a way which prevents the user from needing to visit publishers’ platforms.
A CMA spokesman said: ‘The CMA has been in urgent discussions with Meta on this important issue.
‘Meta has now paused implementation until 20 November. We will continue to scrutinise these terms and engage with Meta and others as we consider our next steps.’
The watchdog has the ability to effectively force Meta into dropping the changes in the UK via sanctions, including fines.
Meta denies the changes are about AI training or scraping news websites and are aimed at improving how adverts are displayed.
It says users of its platforms can ‘signal’ their preference to opt-out.
A spokesman added: ‘We are extending the effective date of our updated Commercial Terms and Self-Serve Ad Terms to November 20 to allow more time for us to explain to our partners and stakeholders what’s changing and what’s not – including how Meta uses web crawlers [automated software that browses the web to index content].’
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