> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.promptthemarket.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Seven, Nine and Ten ask the ACCC to stop Meta's scraping terms - URL: https://www.promptthemarket.com/seven-nine-ten-ask-accc-to-stop-meta-scraping-terms/ - Published: 2026-11-03T22:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T22:00:00.000Z - Description: Free TV wants the regulator to engage with Meta before 20 November, after the UK opened an investigation into terms that would let Meta collect content from business websites. - Author: Editor News - Tags: Media, Australia, Meta, #author-james-dore ![James Dore](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/01/e4017178-c1da-4131-80aa-35f02cb5b999/content/images/2026/09/james-dore.jpg) By **James Dore** ยท 2026-10-22 TLDR Free TV Australia, backed by Seven, Nine and Ten, has asked the ACCC to engage urgently with Meta over new commercial terms that would let Meta scrape content from websites linked to businesses on its platforms. The UK competition regulator has opened an investigation into the same terms, and Meta has paused the rollout. KEY TAKEAWAYS 01Free TV Australia has written to the ACCC asking it to engage with Meta before 20 November. 02The contested clause would let Meta use automated tools to collect content from websites linked to businesses on Facebook and Instagram. 03Broadcasters fear the content could feed Meta's own products, including AI, without a licence or payment. 04The UK's Competition and Markets Authority opened an investigation into the terms on 30 October. 05Meta paused the rollout on 28 October pending consultation with industry groups. ## What Free TV is asking Free TV Australia, whose members include Seven, Nine, Ten, WIN and Imparja, has written to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission asking it to engage with Meta over new commercial terms before they take effect. Seven, Nine and Ten signed the letter.[\[1\]](https://mumbrella.com.au/commercial-broadcasters-urge-accc-to-stop-meta-helping-itself-to-australian-content-943296?ref=promptthemarket.com) The clause in dispute would let Meta use automated tools to collect content from websites linked to businesses on its platforms, including content hosted away from Facebook and Instagram. Broadcasters fear that material could be used to build Meta's own products, including AI services, without a separate licence or payment.[\[1\]](https://mumbrella.com.au/commercial-broadcasters-urge-accc-to-stop-meta-helping-itself-to-australian-content-943296?ref=promptthemarket.com) "Broadcasters can't refuse these terms without losing access to their audiences, and Meta knows it," said Bridget Fair, chief executive of Free TV Australia. "This is a clear misuse of market power." She said Free TV is "calling on the ACCC to act urgently and engage with Meta before the 20 November deadline".[\[1\]](https://mumbrella.com.au/commercial-broadcasters-urge-accc-to-stop-meta-helping-itself-to-australian-content-943296?ref=promptthemarket.com) The ACCC declined to confirm whether it had received complaints or was considering action.[\[1\]](https://mumbrella.com.au/commercial-broadcasters-urge-accc-to-stop-meta-helping-itself-to-australian-content-943296?ref=promptthemarket.com) ## The UK has opened an investigation On 30 October, the UK Competition and Markets Authority opened an investigation into whether Meta is abusing a dominant position by imposing exploitative terms on publishers and advertisers. The CMA said the terms could let Meta collect content from business and publisher websites and use it to develop its own products, including AI features, without businesses choosing whether or how their content is used.[\[2\]](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-opens-investigation-into-metas-commercial-terms--2?ref=promptthemarket.com) "Where a company holds a dominant position, it must not use that position to impose unfair terms," said CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell. The regulator stressed that no decision has been made on whether Meta has broken the law.[\[2\]](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-opens-investigation-into-metas-commercial-terms--2?ref=promptthemarket.com) ## Meta has already backed off once Meta had planned to introduce the terms on 30 October, then delayed them to 20 November, and on 28 October paused the rollout pending consultation with industry groups.[\[2\]](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-opens-investigation-into-metas-commercial-terms--2?ref=promptthemarket.com) Earlier in October it removed the word "train" from the terms, and it says news sites, like all content owners, can still block its crawler using robots.txt.[\[3\]](https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/10/meta-delays-rollout-of-terms-that-would-allow-broad-scraping-of-news-sites-legal-experts-are-still-skeptical/?ref=promptthemarket.com) In Norway, a coalition of rival publishers and broadcasters has won an interim injunction stopping the terms being applied to its members until their legality is decided.[\[1\]](https://mumbrella.com.au/commercial-broadcasters-urge-accc-to-stop-meta-helping-itself-to-australian-content-943296?ref=promptthemarket.com) The terms cover every business that uses Meta's platforms, not just broadcasters. Any Australian brand or publisher whose website is linked from a Facebook or Instagram page sits inside the same clause. SOURCES & CITATIONS 1. [Commercial broadcasters urge ACCC to stop Meta 'helping itself' to Australian content, Mumbrella](https://mumbrella.com.au/commercial-broadcasters-urge-accc-to-stop-meta-helping-itself-to-australian-content-943296?ref=promptthemarket.com) 2. [CMA opens investigation into Meta's commercial terms, Competition and Markets Authority](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-opens-investigation-into-metas-commercial-terms--2?ref=promptthemarket.com) 3. [Meta delays rollout of terms that would allow broad scraping of news sites, Nieman Lab](https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/10/meta-delays-rollout-of-terms-that-would-allow-broad-scraping-of-news-sites-legal-experts-are-still-skeptical/?ref=promptthemarket.com) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What has Free TV asked the ACCC to do? To engage urgently with Meta over its new commercial terms before 20 November, the date Meta had set for them to take effect. What do Meta's new terms allow? They would let Meta use automated tools to collect content from websites linked to businesses on its platforms. Broadcasters fear the content could be used for Meta's own products, including AI. Have other regulators acted? The UK Competition and Markets Authority opened an investigation on 30 October, and Norwegian publishers won an interim injunction against the terms. ![James Dore](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/01/e4017178-c1da-4131-80aa-35f02cb5b999/content/images/2026/09/james-dore.jpg) [James Dore](https://www.promptthemarket.com/james-dore/) James Dore is founder and editor of Prompt the Market and Strategy Director at Bushnote, a Sydney strategy, SEO and AI search agency. He has a background in strategy, media and financial services, and led consumer product marketing at MONEYME. He writes on AI search, answer engines, technology policy and media economics.