Meta can scrape Australian business websites from October 30
Meta's updated business terms allow it to scrape and crawl business websites from October 30.
Meta has quietly updated its business terms, effective October 30, to allow it to use automated software to scrape and crawl websites linked to business accounts. The change applies to any business running ads, selling products, managing pages or using Meta Business Suite.
Scraped data could feed Meta's AI tools, potentially repackaging content from third-party websites. Meta says businesses can block the scraping by adjusting their website settings, though the company offers little realistic opt-out if they want to keep using Facebook or Instagram for sales and customer enquiries.
Digital marketing leaders have raised concerns that Meta AI could provide answers directly without sending customers to small business websites.
- October 30
- Effective date
- Michelle Rowland
- Attorney-General notified
Why it mattersSmall businesses dependent on Meta platforms face a difficult choice: allow data scraping or lose visibility on the platforms they rely on for customers.
AustraliaAustralian small businesses must decide by October 30 whether to allow Meta to scrape their website data for AI training, with limited ability to refuse without losing platform access.
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