Estonian media urge European Commission to intervene over Meta’s terms — ERR News
The Estonian Association of Media Companies has called on politicians and regulators, including the European Commission, to intervene over Meta’s new business terms of use. According to the association, they could allow the American technology corporation to use news content without publishers’ separate consent and without payment, ERR News reports.
The new rules were due to take effect on October 30. After discussions with the European Commission, Meta moved the date to November 20, but the Estonian association believes this postponement does not substantially change the situation.
Access to publishers’ materials
According to the association’s assessment, the terms require business users, including news publishers, to grant Meta the right to access web content using automated software. The company could index, store, search and update this content for its own business purposes without separate permission or remuneration.
Initially, Meta sought to establish the right to use materials for training artificial intelligence. After publishers’ protests, the word “training” was removed, but the association is convinced that the remaining wording is still broad enough for AI-related use.
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Association board member Väino Koorberg said these changes could potentially become the largest theft of content. According to him, Meta, as a major digital gatekeeper, affects the visibility of other market participants, which is why stricter rules apply to such platforms in the EU.
Concerns over access to news
Publishers believe the new terms put them before a choice: agree to the use of their materials or lose an important channel for attracting readers. Koorberg also said that Meta is testing restrictions on sharing links on Facebook: only two links can be shared for free during a month.
The association said that reduced visibility of professional journalism on social media could limit users’ access to reliable information and increase their vulnerability to disinformation. Koorberg noted that the most radical step for media outlets could be ending cooperation with Meta products.
News/Media Alliance, which represents nearly 2,000 American publishers, has appealed to Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg to withdraw the new terms. Four more European publishers’ organizations have approached the European Commission with similar concerns. Elis Paemurd, deputy head of the European Commission Representation in Estonia, said that the Commission is monitoring Meta’s compliance with EU law, including the prohibition on abuse of a dominant position.
