UK probes Meta over AI terms on 30 October

Britain's competition watchdog opened an investigation into terms Meta sets for businesses on the 30th of October 2026. The terms could let Meta use content from publishers' websites for its AI features, the watchdog said.

The Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, said businesses would get no choice on whether or how their content is used. Meta has paused the terms.

What the watchdog fears

Forcing news publishers and other content firms to accept the terms could be an unlawful unfair condition, the CMA said. Thousands of UK businesses rely on Meta's services to reach customers, it said.

The CMA will check whether Meta is dominant in a UK market. If so, it will check whether the terms abuse that position.

Terms on hold

Meta first planned the change for the 30th of October, then delayed it to the 20th of November, the CMA said. On the 28th of October Meta paused the rollout to consult industry groups.

The News Media Association and the group Movement for an Open Web raised the concerns, the CMA said.

What the CMA chief said

"Where a company holds a dominant position, it must not use that position to impose unfair terms," CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said.

Below we break down the dates

Meta's start date moved from the 30th of October to the 20th of November. That is a delay of 21 days, by our arithmetic.

The CMA's first stage of gathering evidence runs from October 2026 to January 2027, its case page shows.

What is confirmed and what is not

No decision has been made on whether Meta broke the law, the CMA said. Meta's response was not part of the CMA's statement.

Key facts

The CMA opened an investigation into Meta's business terms on the 30th of October 2026.

The terms could let Meta use publishers' website content for AI.

Meta paused the terms on the 28th of October.

No decision has been made on whether Meta broke the law.