--- title: "Meta delays scraping terms to Nov. 20 amid publisher pushback" id: "12219" type: "post" slug: "meta-scraping-terms-delay-publishers" published_at: "2026-10-27T12:45:00+00:00" modified_at: "2026-10-27T10:52:17+00:00" url: "https://mediacopilot.ai/meta-scraping-terms-delay-publishers/" markdown_url: "https://mediacopilot.ai/meta-scraping-terms-delay-publishers.md" excerpt: "Meta postponed its revised business terms by three weeks as publishers, trade groups and regulators continue raising concerns." taxonomy_category: - "News" taxonomy_post_tag: - "bots" - "Lawsuit" - "publishers" - "meta" - "regulation" --- # Meta delays scraping terms to Nov. 20 amid publisher pushback Meta postponed its revised business terms by three weeks as publishers, trade groups and regulators continue raising concerns. ![A lawyer and publishing executive review EU and UK regulator letters and a tablet showing an antitrust document in a glass-walled meeting room.](https://mediacopilot.ai/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/meta-scraping-terms-delay-publishers-400x225.png) As Meta pushes its scraping terms deadline to Nov. 20, publishers and regulators in the EU and UK are weighing legal challenges over the DMA and antitrust rules. (Credit: ChatGPT) Oct 27, 2026 By [The Copilot](https://mediacopilot.ai/author/thecopilot/) Meta has delayed the effective date of its revised business terms from Oct. 30 to Nov. 20. The company said it wants more time to explain the changes to publishers and other stakeholders. [Nieman Lab reported](https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/10/meta-delays-rollout-of-terms-that-would-allow-broad-scraping-of-news-sites-legal-experts-are-still-skeptical/) the postponement after weeks of objections from publishers and trade groups. A Meta spokesperson said the extension would allow more time to explain “what’s changing and what’s not.” The company also said content owners can continue using robots.txt to signal crawling preferences. The revised terms would permit broad scraping of websites associated with Meta business accounts. Those accounts can span Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads. Meta previously removed the word “train” from the terms on Oct. 16. It also limited future use of scraped material to “advertising and business products.” The source does not establish that scraped content could be used for artificial intelligence training. Media Copilot has [previously examined the broader legal debate](https://mediacopilot.ai/meta-commercial-terms-scraping-news/) surrounding Meta’s proposed crawling rights. Aside from the new effective date, Nieman Lab reported no further changes to the terms as of Oct. 23. The text also does not explicitly mention robots.txt, despite Meta’s public statements about honoring those preferences. Legal experts remain skeptical that the delay resolves the dispute. Matt Topic, an attorney at Loevy & Loevy, said publishers “don’t need more PR statements or explanations.” Cornell Law professor James Grimmelmann also questioned whether another three weeks would clarify Meta’s position. Thomas Höppner, a German competition law professor and attorney, raised separate concerns under European competition law. He called the conduct a potential case for interim measures. Höppner also suggested the delay could affect how courts assess urgency. That remains his legal interpretation rather than a finding by a regulator or court. Publisher groups have continued pressing Meta for changes. News/Media Alliance wrote to Mark Zuckerberg, while WAN-IFRA contacted Meta executive Joel Kaplan. Both groups asked Meta to suspend or reconsider the terms before the original Oct. 30 deadline. European publishing organizations also sent a joint letter to the European Commission. They cited concerns under the [Digital Markets Act](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/) . Media Copilot [previously covered those publisher letters](https://mediacopilot.ai/meta-scraping-terms-publishers-letters/) . The European Commission welcomed Meta’s postponement and said it would continue monitoring compliance with EU law. In the U.K., the Competition and Markets Authority said it has held urgent discussions with Meta. The regulator said it would “continue to scrutinize these terms.” The source does not report that either regulator received a formal antitrust complaint. Theo Bamber of the News Media Association called the delay “a pause not a solution.” He wants regulators to secure clearer public commitments from Meta before Nov. 20. For publishers, the postponement creates more time to review the terms and their Meta business accounts. The central question remains unchanged: whether Meta revises the language before Nov. 20 or proceeds with the current version. Posts co-authored by The Copilot are drafted with AI and then carefully edited by Media Copilot editors. Our AI-assisted process allows us to bring more valuable content to our readers while preserving accuracy and quality. Contributors - [The Copilot](https://mediacopilot.ai/author/thecopilot/) : AuthorI'm a generative AI writer for The Media Copilot. I help author posts, and with the help of human editors, play a growing role in the site's content strategy. - [Romy Abu-Fadel](https://mediacopilot.ai/author/romy/) : EditorRomy Abu-Fadel is a journalist, researcher, and 2026 graduate of Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. She covers artificial intelligence and its impacts on the media industry. Category: [News](https://mediacopilot.ai/category/news/) Tags:[bots](https://mediacopilot.ai/tag/bots/) | [Lawsuit](https://mediacopilot.ai/tag/lawsuit/) | [publishers](https://mediacopilot.ai/tag/publishers/) | [meta](https://mediacopilot.ai/tag/meta/) | [regulation](https://mediacopilot.ai/tag/regulation/) Share this post: [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://mediacopilot.ai/meta-scraping-terms-delay-publishers/&display=popup&ref=plugin&src=share_button) [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://mediacopilot.ai/meta-scraping-terms-delay-publishers/&text=Meta%20delays%20scraping%20terms%20to%20Nov.%2020%20amid%20publisher%20pushback) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://mediacopilot.ai/meta-scraping-terms-delay-publishers/) [Email](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d6e9a5a3b4bcb3b5a2eb8fb9a3a4f3e4e6b0a4bfb3b8b2f3e4e6beb7a5f3e4e6a5beb7a4b3b2f3e4e6b7b8f3e4e6b7a4a2bfb5bab3f3e4e6a1bfa2bef3e4e6afb9a3f8f0f5e6e5eeedb4b9b2afeb9bb3a2b7f3e4e6b2b3bab7afa5f3e4e6a5b5a4b7a6bfb8b1f3e4e6a2b3a4bba5f3e4e6a2b9f3e4e698b9a0f8f3e4e6e4e6f3e4e6b7bbbfb2f3e4e6a6a3b4babfa5beb3a4f3e4e6a6a3a5beb4b7b5bdf3e692f3e697bea2a2a6a5f3e597f3e490f3e490bbb3b2bfb7b5b9a6bfbab9a2f8b7bff3e490bbb3a2b7fba5b5a4b7a6bfb8b1fba2b3a4bba5fbb2b3bab7affba6a3b4babfa5beb3a4a5f3e490f3e692f3e697)