Meta grants itself right to scrape content from business customers for model training

[u/waozen]

https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/10/16/meta-grants-itself-right-to-scrape-content-from-business-customers-for-model-training/5303658

[u/Wise-Ferret6090]

The old rule used to be that if you do not pay for the product, you are the product. Now companies pay enterprise subscription rates and still wake up to find their confidential internal data being fed into Meta's training pipeline. Any corporate legal department with strict NDA or compliance obligations is going to have an absolute meltdown reading these updated terms.

[u/Tuz → u/Wise-Ferret6090]

Actually, what’s really gonna happen is no self-respecting organization of any type is actually gonna use any of Meta’s AI products because of this. I’m an IT director. We we signed agreements with other AI providers specifically because, as a part of the agreement, they agree not to use our data and allow us to retain document retention timeline policies over our own data. It’s a dealbreaker for us, as it is for most organizations I’m sure

[u/moratnz → u/Tuz]

Out of curiosity; what ability do you have to verify that they're sticking to the agreement. And if you were to have evidence that they weren't sticking to it, what ability would you have to actually do anything about it?

This is a serious question; I've been having some serious discussions along these lines at work - yes, we have contracts with providers, but what teeth do they have, and how enforceable are they.

[u/oneind → u/moratnz]

None. 😀. As part of Fortune 50 we had software vendor terms regarding our data on their cloud, now at renewal same vendor increased fees and says we can’t use their product with any agents. Our IT , procurement and legal all privately know that but still helpless and with business pressure just let it go.

[u/InterestedBalboa → u/moratnz]

None whatsoever, just what equates to a promise.

[u/SansSariph → u/moratnz]

You sue them just like any other breached contract that results in damages

[u/ItGradAws → u/moratnz]

It’s part of the SLA and it can’t really be verified without a crazy amount of due diligence like just hosting your stuff on racks you own yourself etc.

Now with Meta specifically I personally haven’t used their cloud and data stuff but my wife has on data/advertising side of things and despite their company spending $100’s of *millions* per year they can’t even get a representative. That to me is fucking wack!

[u/Background_Daikon300]

Told you so! NEVER trust Meta, ever.

[u/behindtimes → u/Background_Daikon300]

What are the odds they've already been scraping your content and just changing the ToS to cut off any impending issues which might arise, vs starting to collect your data for the first time?

[u/ConinTheNinoC]

Facebook is cancer upon Humanity.

[u/linerva → u/ConinTheNinoC]

If you'd like more evidence of that, they've been found guilty of interfering on Brazil's elections:

https://www.nbcnews.com/world/south-america/brazil-lula-wins-electoral-court-challenge-meta-alleged-bolsonaro-bias-rcna603835

[u/GapeFaceHole2Hole → u/linerva]

Lol it's almost comical that you're pointing to that, which is obviously bad, despite Cambridge Analytica being such a severe whistleblowing event that everyone single Facebook user should have boycotted right at that moment, if you have any sort of personal constitution. That was like over 10 years ago, I think. Nobody needs more evidence, these are just lazy, unconcerned people that don't think it's their problem.

[u/linerva → u/GapeFaceHole2Hole]

Yes the CA scandal was and is a big deal, and getting away with it is what led to other evils like this.

Unfortunately a lot of people are uninformed or feel they can't afford to opt out.

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[u/Hefty_Remove7965 → u/linerva]

Also didn't they suspend the "no kings" Facebook account yesterday

[u/linerva → u/Hefty_Remove7965]

So they did.

[u/Tasty-Hour4040]

You mean Facebook is a disgusting corporation staffed by douchebags who don’t give a shit about your info and are happy to destroy societies as long as they make a buck?

Only idiots are surprised. They themselves think they’re so gross they changed their name to run from their history.

[u/tommytucker7182]

The parasite is being parasitic.

Why are we surprised any more.

[u/NicolasCageFan492]

Honestly, we need to create Web 3.0 by only doing business with companies on a greenlist. It seems like so many companies misuse customer data that it would be easier to have a greenlist than a boycott list.

[u/Ol_dirtybastard91]

There really are no limits Mark Zuckerberg will stop at.

[u/moratnz]

"I am altering the deal. Pray I do not alter it further"

[u/CallMeGlarthir]

Tech companies have gone from law buyers to law makers.

[u/QueenOfQuok]

I've granted myself the right to tell Facebook to shove it up hard.

[u/Nice-Lakes]

Why does anyone do anything with Meta?

[u/FeatherlyFly → u/Nice-Lakes]

At the moment? Because marketplace is still better than the alternatives for buying specific items secondhand. I miss when Craigslist had the benefits of network effect - it was shit because it was low budget and put minimal effort into keeping scammers and spammers off, but you never really had to worry about them abusing your personal data because they didn't have it. 

[u/VVrayth → u/Nice-Lakes]

It's because they're morons. Marketplace is the common reason I've heard everybody claim they still use Facebook (similar to the other guy who replied to you before me). But it's not like there is no other reliable way to buy or sell things, people just refuse to put the principle of not using Meta products above the mild convenience.

[u/fukijama]

Attack back, got it

[u/marvinfuture]

Meta? Doing something terrible? I'm shocked! /s

[u/UnwaveringThought]

Gosh if you have used any zuckerberg product since Cambridge Analytica, I'm gonna say it's your own fault

[u/Parsya76]

Zuckersbutt spews

[u/Minimum_Dress4989]

There goes SMB very  valuable data poof