Meta's publisher and advertiser terms face UK competition probe

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has opened a formal investigation into whether Meta's commercial terms let it collect content from business and publisher websites and use it across its products, including AI features. The CMA's announcement on GOV.UK says the terms could allow that use without businesses choosing if or how their content is used. The regulator points to thousands of UK businesses that rely on Meta's services, and names news publishers, other content businesses and advertisers as affected.

The probe runs under the Competition Act 1998. The CMA must first establish whether Meta holds a dominant position in a relevant UK market; if it does, the question is whether its terms abuse that position. The regulator says requiring news publishers and other content businesses to accept the terms could be an unlawful imposition of unfair trading conditions. Sarah Cardell, the CMA's chief executive, said: "But where a company holds a dominant position, it must not use that position to impose unfair terms."

Meta first planned to introduce the changes on 30 October, then delayed implementation to 20 November. On 28 October it paused the rollout pending consultation with industry groups. The investigation followed concerns from stakeholders including the News Media Association and Movement for an Open Web.

The CMA's powers under the digital markets regime are limited because Meta has not been designated with strategic market status, so the case rests on competition law. The regulator will gather and assess evidence from Meta and affected third parties. No decision has been made on whether Meta broke the law, and updates will appear on the CMA case page. The Competition Act 1998 allows interim measures, but the CMA has not said whether it is considering them.

A separate strand sits outside the investigation. The CMA is seeking information from Meta about its Meta One business subscription service, and about concerns from the Federation of Small Businesses over posting external links on Facebook and Instagram without a subscription fee. No decision on formal action has been taken.

Meta's response is unconfirmed. Reuters coverage, via Yahoo reports that the company saw no grounds for the investigation, but the CMA's notice quotes no Meta statement.

Publishers and advertisers have the clearest stake. If the CMA finds Meta's terms unfair, their position in dealings with the platform would be measured against the regulator's view. Meta carries the exposure: its terms are now under formal review, its own timetable has already slipped to 20 November, and the case has no outcome yet.

Three things to watch: whether the 20 November date holds after consultation with industry groups, whether the CMA moves to interim measures, and what evidence Meta and third parties put to the regulator. Any operator whose content or ad spend runs through Meta's platforms should read the terms now.