The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation into Meta on 30 October under Chapter II of the Competition Act 1998. It will examine whether Meta's commercial terms for businesses abuse a dominant position. The worry is that the terms could let Meta collect content from the websites of news publishers and other businesses that use its services, and use it to build its own products and services, including AI features, without those businesses having a say on whether or how their content is used.
The CMA says requiring publishers to accept these terms could amount to imposing unfair trading conditions on thousands of UK businesses.
Delayed, then paused
Meta had planned to change its commercial terms on 30 October, pushed the date to 20 November after engaging with the CMA, and on 28 October announced a pause pending consultation with industry groups. The CMA says it acted on concerns from stakeholders including the News Media Association and Movement for an Open Web. The businesses under investigation are Meta Platforms, Inc., Facebook UK Limited and Facebook Ireland Limited.
Two questions for the CMA
- Does Meta hold a dominant position in one or more relevant UK markets?
- If so, do its existing terms, or revisions to them, amount to an abuse of that position?
The CMA stresses that the case is at an early stage and that it has not found Meta in breach of the law. Its case page sets October 2026 to January 2027 for rapid initial evidence-gathering with Meta and third parties, with dates marked as indicative. After that, it may close the case, or, if it provisionally finds an infringement, issue a statement of objections and hear the parties before a final decision. The Act also allows interim measures where needed to prevent significant damage.
The CMA is using general competition law because Meta has not been designated with strategic market status under the digital markets regime; the next set of designation proposals goes to the CMA Board in spring 2027. Separately, the CMA is seeking information on Meta One, Meta's business subscription, and on whether small businesses must pay to post external links on Facebook and Instagram, but that falls outside this investigation.
J&C recommends that publishers and brands using Meta's advertising or business services in the UK pull out the clauses in their platform terms on collecting website content, using data and applying it to AI, and check how far the licence goes and whether they can opt out. With the terms paused and under industry consultation, trade associations are the channel for raising concerns.
Source: www.gov.uk | www.gov.uk
