Meta removed language from its commercial terms of use that allowed the company to scrape content from business accounts for AI training purposes. The change comes after legal experts described the provision as a 'remarkable provision' that could enable Meta to scrape publisher websites for model training.
The updated terms previously stated that Meta could use content from business account domains, web pages, or URLs to develop and improve its products and services. However, a Meta spokesperson clarified that the change does not affect how the company uses web crawlers.
The company stated that the revised terms only applied to its ads and business products, and that the crawling terms remain unchanged. This clarification follows reports that the provision had been removed from the terms of use.
"We’ve heard you and want to clarify: the crawling terms we consolidated only applied to our ads and business products, and we’ve clarified that in the terms themselves," said a Meta spokesperson. The company emphasized that the change does not alter its use of web crawlers.
The removal of the provision follows ongoing legal cases against AI companies, including Meta, over data usage practices. The company did not comment on whether it will revisit the issue in the future, and the impact of the change remains unclear.
Source: techcrunch
