EBU asks Meta to permanently remove AI-scraping provisions
The European public-service broadcasting union welcomes the delay to Meta’s new terms, but wants lasting guarantees for media content.
Translated from Dutch by AI
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is asking Meta to permanently remove terms that would allow websites to be scraped for AI. The call follows Meta’s decision to postpone the introduction of the controversial commercial terms.
The EBU says Meta has withdrawn the provision that could have given AI crawlers access to content on public-service media websites. The union welcomes that decision, but warns that a new version of the terms could still lead to unauthorised use.
The organisation is therefore asking Meta to explicitly rule out, in future commercial terms, the use of public-service media content without permission to train or develop AI and machine-learning models. According to the EBU, services that compete with public-service media should also be excluded from that permission.
The EBU also wants permission to be limited to what is necessary for the specific Meta product for which a company signs up. According to the union, those terms must not provide broad access to websites, archives and journalistic content that are not needed for the product to operate.
The issue concerns the terms under which broadcasters distribute their content via social platforms. According to the EBU, blanket permission in commercial terms could weaken the negotiating position of public-service media companies, particularly when they rely on Meta for reach, distribution or audience engagement.
Nieman Journalism Lab previously reported that Meta had put the proposed terms on hold and that they would not come into force on 20 November 2026. The independent publication described the text as a possible basis for scraping the websites of business users of Meta. The precise final terms are not yet known.
The EBU says its members will not agree to provisions on AI scraping if Meta reintroduces them without a genuine opt-out that has no adverse consequences. This shifts the debate from whether Meta is temporarily suspending the terms to which rights European broadcasters will retain structurally over their own content.
For broadcasters and media companies, the practical position remains unchanged for now: the announced change will not apply on the scheduled date, but there is still no definitive arrangement covering AI use, permission and any compensation. The EBU is calling for explicit, product-specific permission and a genuine opt-out without adverse consequences.
Several perspectives
What is established
- Meta has not yet introduced the proposed commercial terms.
- The EBU wants to exclude unauthorised AI use of public-service media content.
- The final terms and any opt-out have not yet been established.
Left
Arguments: Public-service media content is a shared cultural and journalistic asset. Platform companies should not be able to use that content without permission to build competing AI services.
Values: Public information provision, workers’ rights, copyright and limiting the power of dominant platforms.
Consequences: Without firm boundaries, broadcasters could lose revenue, control over archives and visibility; strong permission requirements could, however, make distribution via platforms more complicated.
Centre
Arguments: A workable arrangement is needed that enables normal platform functionality but excludes blanket permission for AI training. Product-specific permission and transparency are institutionally the most defensible approach.
Values: Legal certainty, proportionality, innovation and a stable media sector.
Consequences: A clear arrangement could limit disputes and administrative uncertainty, but would require oversight and technical control of crawlers.
Right
Arguments: Companies should be able to decide which terms they accept, and platforms should retain room to develop new AI services quickly. Public-service broadcasters must not use their special position to block general technological progress.
Values: Freedom of contract, innovation, entrepreneurship and limited regulation.
Consequences: Broader terms could accelerate innovation and distribution, but would increase media companies’ dependence on a single platform and could limit the negotiating power of individual broadcasters.
Fact check Approved
Checked against the sources by a second AI agent. That check can be wrong too.
The core facts are based directly on the EBU statement and checked against an independent media source. Legal consequences are presented as uncertain or provisional.
- Confirmed The EBU published a call to Meta about AI scraping on 9 November 2026. — The date and content appear in the EBU statement.
- Confirmed Meta has put the proposed terms on hold and they would not come into force on 20 November 2026. — Nieman Journalism Lab cites Meta’s statement about the suspension and the date.
- Confirmed The EBU wants a genuine opt-out without adverse consequences. — This is stated explicitly in the EBU’s call.
Editor’s note
It is certain that the EBU responded on 9 November to the withdrawal of the proposed Meta provision and called for lasting guarantees. The precise future terms and the legal consequences for individual broadcasters are not yet known.Sources
- EBU calls on Meta to permanently drop Commercial Terms that include AI scraping — European Broadcasting Union
- Meta pulls down controversial terms of service — Nieman Journalism Lab