The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation on October 30, 2026, into Meta’s proposed commercial terms for businesses using its platforms. The CMA is examining whether the terms could let Meta collect content from publishers’ and other businesses’ websites and use it for Meta products, including AI features, without giving those businesses a choice about whether or how their content is used. The CMA’s notice says the proposed terms could affect thousands of UK businesses that rely on Meta to reach customers and audiences.
What the CMA is examining
The question is whether Meta’s proposed terms could impose unfair conditions on businesses whose websites supply content for Meta’s products. The CMA’s concern about possible content collection and use is the subject of the investigation, not a finding that Meta has acted unlawfully.
The legal test is conditional
Under the Competition Act 1998, the CMA will assess whether Meta holds a dominant position in a relevant UK market. Only if it establishes that does it then assess whether the proposed terms abuse that position. When it opened the investigation, the CMA had made no decision on whether Meta broke the law.
The proposed rollout was paused
Meta initially planned to introduce the changes on October 30, 2026, then moved the planned implementation date to November 20 after engaging with the CMA. On October 28, Meta announced a pause to the rollout pending consultation with industry groups. November 20 was a planned date; the CMA’s notice reports the pause, not an implementation of the terms.
Other CMA information gathering is separate
The CMA said its separate information gathering about Meta One and the Federation of Small Businesses’ concerns over small businesses posting external links on Facebook and Instagram without paying a subscription fee falls outside the Competition Act investigation. Those matters are not part of the case into Meta’s proposed commercial terms.
