{"slug": "uk-watchdog-locks-horns-with-meta-over-fears-zuck-could-scrape-british-websites", "title": "UK watchdog locks horns with Meta over fears Zuck could scrape British websites to train AI", "summary": "The UK Competition and Markets Authority is engaging directly with Meta \"to establish the facts\" over revised commercial terms that could let Meta crawl British businesses' websites for AI development, government minister Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath told the House of Lords on October 27. Meta delayed implementing the updated terms from October 30 to November 20 after publishers objected, and has removed the word \"train\" and the phrase \"any content\" from the rules, but the terms still allow Meta to \"periodically pull updates\" from business users' websites to develop, improve and research its advertising and business products. Baroness Ramsey said \"the removal of the word 'train' has not resolved the concerns,\" the European Commission received a formal competition complaint about the terms on October 22, and the UK government expects findings in the first part of 2027 from its review of mechanisms giving creators greater control over AI use of their work.", "body_md": "[AI](https://www.machine.news/tag/ai/)\n\n# UK watchdog locks horns with Meta over fears Zuck could scrape British websites to train AI\n\nPeers urge government to “use all the powers at their disposal” to stop Meta using publishers’ content for AI development.\n\nThe UK [government](https://www.machine.news/tag/government/) has confirmed that the British competition watchdog is engaging directly with Meta over controversial new terms that could allow the tech giant to crawl British businesses' websites for [AI](https://www.machine.news/tag/ai/) development.\n\nSpeaking during a [House of Lords debate](https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-10-27/debates/67BF6D29-C525-4B11-9879-DB98F1D4A486/MetaAIDevelopment?ref=machine.news) yesterday, government minister Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath said that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was engaging directly with Meta \"to establish the facts.\"\n\n\"The CMA recognises the urgency of this matter, particularly for businesses that rely on Meta services to reach their customers,\" she said.\n\n\"A delay does not resolve the questions raised by the effect of the new terms.\"\n\nAn initial version of Meta’s updated terms allowed it to use “any content” from websites linked to business pages to “provide, develop, improve, research, train, and maintain the integrity” of its products and services.\n\nIt has now revised the terms to remove the word “train” and no longer refers to “any content.” However, the rules still allow Meta to “periodically pull updates” from business users’ websites to develop, improve and research its advertising and business products.\n\nMeta says the practice is intended to help businesses create and deliver advertising, promote their products and services, and reach potential customers.\n\nMeta has delayed implementing its updated commercial terms from October 30 to November 20 after publishers and other businesses objected.\n\nLiberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones claimed that Meta had pushed back the rollout of its new policies without fully changing their substance.\n\n\"It does not use the word 'train' any more, but it can still crawl publishers’ websites to 'develop and improve' its products,\" he said.\n\nHe also asked whether the terms let Meta bypass paywalls and technical protections.\n\n## Scraping by\n\nLord Brennan of Canton urged the government to intervene against what he described as \"a threat to trusted journalism.\"\n\n\"I urge the Minister to be robust on this matter and the Government to use all the powers at their disposal,\" he added.\n\nBaroness Ramsey also said that removing explicit references to training had failed to resolve the dispute.\n\n\"The removal of the word 'train' has not resolved the concerns raised about the revised terms, particularly on whether the remaining provisions could still permit content to be used for AI training,\" she said.\n\n## READ MORE: [\"Don't record me!\": Meta wants to stop Glassholes prying, perving and pirating](https://www.machine.news/meta-wants-to-stop-glassholes-prying-perving-and-pirating/)\n\nHowever, Meta has disputed that interpretation and [maintained](https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/meta-delay-new-commercial-terms-criticised-by-publishers-advertisers-2026-10-23/?ref=machine.news) that website owners can use robots.txt to communicate their preferences about automated crawling.\n\nThe minister also confirmed that the European Commission received a formal competition complaint about Meta's revised terms on October 22.\n\nNo formal enforcement action has been announced.\n\nThe CMA is expected to provide an expedited written response to the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee setting out its position.\n\nMeanwhile, the UK government is reviewing mechanisms to give creators greater control over how AI development uses their work, with findings expected in the first part of 2027.\n\nWe have contacted Meta for comment.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/uk-watchdog-locks-horns-with-meta-over-fears-zuck-could-scrape-british-websites", "canonical_source": "https://www.machine.news/uk-watchdog-locks-horns-with-meta-over-fears-zuck-could-scrape-british-websites-to-train-ai/", "published_at": "2026-10-28 13:00:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-10-28 17:15:38.493602+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy", "ai-crawlers", "artificial-intelligence"], "entities": ["Meta", "Competition and Markets Authority", "Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath", "Lord Clement-Jones", "Lord Brennan of Canton", "European Commission", "House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/uk-watchdog-locks-horns-with-meta-over-fears-zuck-could-scrape-british-websites", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/uk-watchdog-locks-horns-with-meta-over-fears-zuck-could-scrape-british-websites.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/uk-watchdog-locks-horns-with-meta-over-fears-zuck-could-scrape-british-websites.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/uk-watchdog-locks-horns-with-meta-over-fears-zuck-could-scrape-british-websites.jsonld"}}