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Meta says it may delay its new business terms past November 20 over AI training fears

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Meta says it may delay its new business terms past November 20 over AI training fears

Meta says it may push the implementation of its new ads and business terms past November 20th, as it faces backlash from publishers over concerns about AI training. 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."

The terms were originally supposed to take effect on October 30th. They initially appeared to give Meta permission to train its AI models on the news sites that use Facebook and Instagram. Meta later changed its policies to remove language indicating that it could "train" its products on content scraped from these sites. Legal experts told Nieman Lab that the update still isn't enough to rule out that possibility. Meta responded to the concerns by delaying implementation until November 20th. Now, The Verge writes, enforcement may be delayed indefinitely.

Stone put it this way: "We’ve heard publishers’ feedback on our proposed ads and business terms update. We’re committed to getting this right, and as we expect this consultation could extend beyond November 20, in which case we’d delay implementation of the updated terms. Until then our existing terms remain in place."

The pushback is not limited to publishers. Along with the News/Media Alliance, lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle have spoken out about the new terms. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said the updated terms indicate Meta is "attempting to exploit American creators and businesses," while Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) urged Meta to reverse the change.

Key facts

  • Meta says its consultation could extend beyond November 20, in which case it would delay implementation of its updated ads and business terms.
  • The terms were originally due to take effect on October 30th and were first delayed to November 20th.
  • Meta removed language saying it could "train" its products on content scraped from news sites, but legal experts told Nieman Lab the change does not rule out AI training.
  • Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) accused Meta of "attempting to exploit American creators and businesses"; Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) urged Meta to reverse the change.
  • Until the new terms apply, Meta says its existing terms remain in place.

Why it matters

This is the second step back in a dispute over whether Meta's terms let it train AI models on news content from publishers that use Facebook and Instagram. The terms were due on October 30th, slipped to November 20th, and may now slip again with no new date. Meta frames the delay as a full consultation with industry groups and leaders before any policy change.

Who it affects

Publishers that use Facebook and Instagram are the group the terms touch most directly, and the News/Media Alliance has pushed back. Lawmakers from both parties have also spoken up: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) are the two named.

How to use it

There is nothing to adopt here. For publishers on Meta's platforms, the practical point is Stone's statement that Meta's existing terms remain in place until the updated terms are implemented.

How solid is it

The statement comes from Meta's communications head, Andy Stone, in a post on X, and The Verge reports it directly. Meta's wording is conditional: the consultation "could" extend beyond November 20, "in which case" it would delay. The Verge's own line that enforcement "may be delayed indefinitely" is likewise hedged. The claim that the revised wording still does not rule out AI training comes from legal experts speaking to Nieman Lab, not from Meta.

Risks and caveats

No new implementation date has been given, so the delay is open-ended. Meta is not quoted as confirming it will train AI on publisher content; the concern is that the terms appeared to allow it and that experts say the revision does not exclude it. A delay also does not settle the underlying question, since the terms themselves have not been withdrawn.

“We’re committed to getting this right, and as we expect this consultation could extend beyond November 20, in which case we’d delay implementation of the updated terms. Until then our existing terms remain in place.”

— Andy Stone, Meta communications head