World Association of News Publishers calls on Meta to halt new data collection terms

Representing more than 20,000 media organizations, the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has objected to the data collection clause in Meta's new commercial terms via a letter sent to Joel Kaplan, Meta's Head of Global Affairs. Scheduled to take effect on October 30, 2026, the regulation allows Meta to access content on the websites of publishers using its business services through automated tools and test credentials.

WAN-IFRA management argues that this practice forces publishers to choose between maintaining a presence on Meta platforms and retaining control over their content. The association is concerned that these terms may pave the way for Meta to use publisher content to train its generative artificial intelligence models without fair compensation.

The association demands that Meta respect robots.txt files and other access controls, remove the authority to create test credentials, and engage in dialogue with the industry. In addition, written guarantees are requested to ensure that news organizations are exempt from link sharing limits under the new subscription service called 'Meta One' and protected against copycat content.