Meta promises to consult publishers before confirming new terms of service after widespread backlash

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The client was not given the opportunity to put restrictions on the content or review it prior to publication. by BDCMeta promises to consult publishers before confirming new terms of service after widespread backlash'They (Meta) need to get out of delay, deny (and) defend mode and do the right thing'Last updated 9 minutes ago The Meta Platforms Inc. headquarters in Menlo Park, California. Photo by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg filesMeta Platforms Inc. pledged on Wednesday to consult news industry groups before finalizing new terms of service that have sparked a backlash among publishers concerned the tech company could use their content to train its artificial intelligence models.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account“We’ve heard publishers’ feedback on our proposed ads and business terms update,” Meta’s vice-president of communications Andy Stone said on X on Wednesday.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.We've heard publishers' feedback on our proposed ads and business terms update. We care deeply about our partners and do not plan to make policy changes without a full consultation with industry groups and leaders. We're committed to getting this right, and as we expect this… https://t.co/t91Q1QU8mu— Andy Stone (@andymstone) October 28, 2026“We do not plan to make policy changes without a full consultation with industry groups and leaders,” Stone said.Breaking business news, incisive views, must-reads and market signals. Weekdays by 9 a.m.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Posthaste will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againIn mid-October, the San Francisco tech company announced updates to its commercial terms of service, which initially included a clause allowing it to use tools such as web crawlers to scrape content from sites associated with its business users to “develop, improve, research, train … Meta company products, services and features.”Media and digital rights groups pushed back against the changes, compelling Meta, which owns social and messaging platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to remove the language. Advocacy group Movement for an Open Web described the company’s proposed terms and conditions as anti-competitive.“Many businesses effectively have no choice but to use Meta’s services and these conditions would force them to sign away the rights to their digital content with no means of opting out,” said co-founder Tim Cowen in a statement last week.Meta initially said its new commercial terms would take effect at the end of October, but pushed the date to Nov. 20 after the outcry. Meta’s Stone said the discussions with industry could delay the implementation date again.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Meta’s latest move shows it is feeling a “massive chorus of pressure” from publishers worldwide, said Paul Deegan, president of News Media Canada, an industry body that represents some of the country’s largest news companies, including Torstar Corp, The Globe and Mail Inc. and Postmedia Network Canada Corp., which publishes the Financial Post.“They (Meta) need to get out of delay, deny (and) defend mode and do the right thing,” Deegan said. “That means dropping these draconian changes to their terms of service.”Meta did not specify which industry groups and leaders it plans to have consultations with, and News Media Canada did not confirm whether it is meeting with Meta.The World Association of News Publishers, which represents 20,000 news and magazine outlets in 120 countries, wrote a letter to Meta on Thursday calling for a “credible” consultation and revised terms that “must not require publishers to grant permission to collect or reuse their content (while) every publisher … must be able to refuse permission without penalties affecting access, distribution or referral.”This advertisement has not loaded yet.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Deegan said News Media Canada members are hopeful that Ottawa will ask Meta “very tough questions about this.” Deegan previously said the group has taken its concerns to the Canadian government.European Union and United Kingdom regulators have fielded concerns from digital advertisers and publishers, who are calling on their governments to push Meta to repeal the changes. Meanwhile, an Oslo court on Wednesday temporarily barred the tech company from enforcing its new terms in Norway after a coalition of Norwegian news outlets filed a lawsuit.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.