UK CMA opens competition probe into Meta's commercial terms

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has opened a Competition Act investigation into whether Meta’s commercial terms impose unfair conditions on publishers, advertisers and other businesses using its platforms and services. The inquiry brings regulatory scrutiny to terms Meta first delayed and then paused.

The CMA said the terms could allow Meta to collect content from the websites of businesses and publishers using its services, then use that material to develop and provide its own products and services, including AI features. The regulator is examining whether affected businesses can choose if or how their content is used.

The CMA will assess whether Meta holds a dominant position in one or more relevant UK markets. If it does, the regulator will consider whether the company’s existing or revised terms amount to an abuse of that position under Chapter II of the Competition Act 1998. The CMA has not decided that Meta broke competition law, and no assumption about an infringement should be made at this stage.

Meta initially moved the planned effective date for its revised terms from October 30 to November 20 after engagement with the CMA. On October 28, the company said it would pause the rollout while consulting industry groups; its existing terms remain in place. An earlier DataPhoenix report detailed commercial terms authorizing automated access to websites tied to business users.

The CMA case page names Meta Platforms, Facebook UK and Facebook Ireland as businesses under investigation, while noting that other Meta entities may also be relevant. Its indicative timetable runs from October 2026 through January 2027 for initial information gathering and engagement with Meta and third parties.

The CMA may close the case after gathering evidence. If it provisionally concludes that competition law was infringed, it may instead issue a statement of objections and give the parties an opportunity to respond before reaching a final decision.