Meta removes 'training' from crawl clause in commercial terms effective Oct 30
Meta updated its Commercial Terms, which take effect on Oct 30 2026, to delete the word “training” from the list of purposes for which it may crawl sites linked to a business’s products or services. The revised clause now limits crawling to the provision, development, improvement and research of advertising and business products, as well as product integrity and safety. Meta said the change was…
Key points
- Meta’s new Commercial Terms take effect Oct 30 2026 and drop “training” from crawl purposes.
- Crawling is now limited to advertising and business product development, improvement, research, and safety.
- Experts warn ‘develop’ is vague, ‘business products’ undefined, and robots.txt offers no legal shield.
Legal experts interviewed by Nieman Lab say three concerns remain: the term “develop” is broad enough to include training, “business products” is undefined, and robots.txt is only a voluntary request that does not give sites legal protection. The original wording that mentioned training was still visible in a UK preview as of Oct 19, and the clause offers no individual opt‑out – the only alternative is to stop using Meta’s commercial products.
The story so far
2 episodes →- Meta removes 'training' from crawl clause in commercial terms effective Oct 30this story
Meta specifies crawling of business sites in 'Commercial Terms' effective October 30. 'AI training' wording removed after criticism, but 3 concerns remain
note.com · 20 October 2026
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