Meta is changing the terms for businesses that advertise, sell or manage pages on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The changes are due to start on 30 October.
The new wording lets Meta use automated tools such as bots and crawlers to access websites linked to a business user. It also suggests that information could be used to train Meta’s products, including its AI agent.
Australian marketing figures are worried. Paul Hewett of In Marketing We Trust called it a “significant overreach” and has raised it with the Attorney-General. The terms also say that businesses who disagree may stop using Meta’s products for business purposes.
Meta says the terms bring several agreements together and focus on advertising and business products, and that they don’t change how its crawlers work. It says businesses can signal their preferences through a robots.txt file on their website.
One Townsville digital marketer noted a trade-off: blocking Meta’s crawler could protect your content, but letting it in may help you show up in AI search results.
What it means for your money
If you run a business on Facebook or Instagram, check what your website’s robots.txt file currently allows before 30 October. Decide whether AI visibility or content control matters more to you, and ask your web developer to adjust the file if needed. Keep prices and service details on your site up to date, since AI tools may repeat old information.
Source: SmartCompany