Ministers urged to break cover and publicly back crackdown on Facebook owner Meta over plans to ‘steal’ UK publishers’ content to train AI models, with publishing industry accusing Government of ‘absence of any public support’
UK publishing industry leaders have urged Ministers to publicly support a stronger competition watchdog response to Meta’s proposed platform terms, which they fear could let the company use publishers’ content to train AI without payment. They say the Government’s lack of public backing may make it harder for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to act, potentially harming publishers and the availability of reliably checked news.
The letter was sent by Theo Bamber of the News Media Association to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. The CMA is investigating Meta’s proposed changes to Facebook and Instagram terms; publishers fear avoiding them could mean leaving the platforms and losing a source of readers. Meta says the changes are not about scraping news websites, while the Culture Department says it will follow the CMA’s engagement with the company.
In short
- Publishers want Ministers to back CMA action on Meta’s proposed terms.
- They fear content could be used to train AI without payment.
- Meta denies the changes target news websites.
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The case for
Publishers can argue that allowing Meta to use their work to train AI without payment would weaken the commercial basis for producing original, carefully checked journalism. Since publishers may depend on Facebook and Instagram for readers, leaving the platforms could be costly; they therefore see public ministerial support for a strong CMA response as a way to protect fair competition and a sustainable news supply.
The case against
Meta can argue that its proposed terms are not intended to scrape news websites and that the CMA should assess the evidence and competition effects independently before ministers take a public position. The Government can likewise argue that respecting the watchdog’s process avoids prejudging an ongoing investigation, while any intervention should be grounded in the CMA’s findings rather than political pressure.
Explained simply
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the UK regulator that investigates whether companies are using their market power unfairly. It is examining proposed changes to the terms for Facebook and Instagram, which are owned by Meta.
News publishers say the terms could allow Meta to use their material to train artificial intelligence systems without paying them. They worry that leaving the platforms to avoid those terms could cost them readers. Meta says the changes are not about copying material from news websites.
The News Media Association represents UK news publishers. Its chief executive, Theo Bamber, has written to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, asking them to back stronger scrutiny. The dispute matters because the CMA’s decision could affect how publishers’ work is used and how they reach audiences.
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