📅 November 1, 2026 • CMA
On 30 October 2026, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation under the Competition Act 1998 into Meta's commercial terms for publishers and advertisers. The case concerns terms Meta offered to businesses and publishers that could allow Meta to collect content from companies' websites and use it, including for its own AI features, without those companies deciding how and for what purposes the material is used.
The CMA is acting on complaints, including from the News Media Association and Movement for an Open Web. In the regulator's view, the terms could amount to the unlawful imposition of unfair trading conditions on thousands of UK businesses. CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said: "Digital platforms play an important role in helping UK businesses reach millions of customers around the world. But where a company holds a dominant position, it must not use that position to impose unfair terms."
Meta's terms were originally due to take effect on 30 October, then the date moved to 20 November after talks with the CMA, and on 28 October Meta paused the rollout pending consultations with industry groups. The investigation follows a set order: the CMA will first determine whether Meta holds a dominant position in the relevant UK market, and only then assess whether that position is being abused. No infringement decision has been made. Meta said there are "no grounds" for the investigation, Reuters reported, adding that the company does not change its terms without consulting publishers and other market participants.
Several parallel threads are also in motion. The CMA is separately requesting information from Meta about Meta One, a business subscription service (a matter outside the scope of this investigation, on which no decision to take formal action has yet been taken), after the Federation of Small Businesses raised concerns about placing external links on Facebook and Instagram without paying for a subscription. A court in Norway last week temporarily barred Meta from applying the new terms after ten media organizations said the changes threatened their content rights (AFP), and in France Meta lost an appeal over obligations to negotiate with news publishers. The official case page lists the case as opened on 30 October 2026, type CA98, status Open, market digital markets, naming Meta Platforms, Inc., Facebook UK Limited and Facebook Ireland Limited. The indicative timetable runs from October 2026 to January 2027 for initial information gathering and engagement with Meta and third parties. The CMA may either close the investigation or issue a statement of objections setting out its concerns and give the parties an opportunity to respond before any final decision.
IMPACT. For publishers and businesses that work with Meta, the case has a concrete shape. The CMA plans an initial phase of information gathering and engagement with Meta and third parties through January 2027, which gives affected companies a defined window to submit their position to the regulator. The terms themselves are on hold pending consultations with industry groups, and related questions are being decided by courts in Norway and France, so content, licensing and compliance teams on several markets are tracking the same issue at once. The possible outcomes, closure or a statement of objections with a right to reply, define what both sides now have to prepare for.
Sources:
- gov.uk
- reuters.com
- afp.com
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