Copyright Alliance – whose members include the RIAA, NMPA, and UMG – calls Meta’s proposed business terms ‘unconscionable.’ Now Meta says the rollout could be delayed again.
The Copyright Alliance has condemned Meta’s proposed business terms, saying they could let the company use content from commercial accounts for its products, advertising and AI systems without an opt-out. Meta says it will consult industry groups and may delay the changes, which were due to take effect on 20 November.
The Alliance includes the RIAA, the NMPA and Universal Music Group, and warns the terms could affect businesses and creators across many industries. It says the revised terms still permit broad scraping, including potentially bypassing website instructions such as robots.txt. Meta’s existing terms will remain in place during consultation; the proposed rollout has already been postponed once, from 30 October to 20 November.
In short
- Copyright Alliance calls Meta’s proposed terms “unconscionable”.
- Meta may delay the 20 November rollout again.
- Existing terms stay in place during consultation.
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The case for
Meta could argue that clear, broad terms are needed to explain how content from commercial accounts supports its products and AI systems, and that consulting industry groups before changing them is a responsible response. A further delay would give businesses and creators time to raise concerns and could help produce workable rules across many industries.
The case against
The Copyright Alliance and affected creators could argue that the proposed terms grant Meta sweeping permission to use commercial content, including for advertising and AI, without a meaningful opt-out. They may also see potential scraping that could override website instructions as a threat to control over their work, and view repeated delays as leaving uncertainty unresolved.
Explained simply
Meta is a technology company that owns Facebook and Instagram, where businesses, musicians and other creators publish content to reach audiences. The Copyright Alliance is a US trade group whose members include music industry organisations and Universal Music Group.
The disagreement concerns the terms that govern how Meta may use material posted by commercial accounts. The Alliance says the proposed wording could allow broad use of that material, including in advertising and artificial intelligence systems, without a clear way to opt out.
The issue matters because such terms can affect how creators and businesses control and make money from their work online. It also raises wider questions about how platforms use published material and how those uses are governed.