Meta was due to switch on new terms for businesses that advertise on Facebook and Instagram on 30 October. It has pushed that date to 20 November 2026.
The date has moved. Meta says it wants more time to explain the changes. It has not said whether the text itself will change. Read the current version now, then check it again before 20 November.
This post explains what the terms say and gives you a practical checklist to run before the date.
This is not legal advice. It is a plain-English reading of public documents by a paid media team. Ask a solicitor if the terms matter to your business.
What changed
Reuters reported the delay on 23 October. A Meta spokesperson said the company had moved the effective date to 20 November to give it more time to explain what is changing and what is not.
Reuters said the move followed complaints from publishers and digital advertisers to EU and UK antitrust authorities. They said the terms would give Meta broad rights to use their content for AI services. Meta rejected those claims.
- Meta's stated reason: more time to explain. We do not know what else influenced the decision.
- Meta's pages had not caught up. On 26 October, the Commercial Terms preview still showed an effective date of 30 October 2026.
What the new terms say
Three parts deserve attention. Check the current Meta pages yourself before you rely on this summary.
1. You carry the risk of Meta's AI features
The preview adds a section covering AI features that optimise, enhance or create content. It says those features can make mistakes and may not always give accurate, complete or suitable results.
“You are solely responsible for and assume any and all risks associated with such AI features and any resulting Content.”
The terms do not name individual products. The wording appears to cover tools such as Advantage+ creative, which Meta describes as using AI to generate and enhance ad variations. Meta also says some enhancements may be on by default and can be turned off.
Meta's current Ad Creative Generative AI Terms say you may choose to use those tools at your sole discretion. The new AI features clause does not include that sentence. This is a wording change, not a legal conclusion.
2. The indemnity
The preview also contains an indemnity. It applies to claims or disputes related to your services, actions, content, information or use of Meta products. To the extent permitted by law, it says you agree to cover related damages, losses and expenses.
How this clause and the AI features clause work together is a question for a solicitor, not for us.
This is not entirely new. Meta's current Self-Serve Ad Terms already make advertisers responsible for their order, ad content, targeting decisions and placements. The explicit AI wording is new.
3. Meta may crawl sites linked to your business
The preview authorises Meta, or an entity acting for it, to use automated software to access, index, cache, analyse and crawl web pages associated with your products or services. The stated purpose includes developing and maintaining advertising and business products.
PPC Land reports that an earlier version had a standalone sentence about training and that Meta later removed it. If your website contains material you sell or license, read the current clause closely.
How you accept
The terms do not require a separate opt-in. The Commercial Terms say continued business use after notice of an update means you agree to be bound by them. The Self-Serve Ad Terms use similar wording for continued use of the advertising interfaces.
Those are Meta's words. What they mean for your business is a question for your solicitor. The practical point is simple: someone should read the terms before 20 November.
A checklist before 20 November
- List every Meta ad account and its owner.Include accounts created by past staff, agencies or freelancers.
- Find every active AI feature. Check Advantage+ creative settings and any generative text, image or video tools.
- Decide feature by feature. Switch off anything whose output the business cannot accept or review safely.
- Review what is live. Check variations for prices, claims, guarantees and regulated wording.
- Match features to your review process. Name one reviewer and record what they checked. If a feature cannot fit the review process, consider switching it off.
- Ask your agency in writing. Ask which features are active and who reviews them. Meta's terms place responsibility on the advertiser. Your agency may have separate duties under its own contract.
Defaults can change quietly. We saw another example in Meta's reported product browsing change. Our wasted spend analysis checks the settings and tracking behind Google and Meta spend.
Is AI creative worth the risk?
It depends on what it produces for your business. Meta reports performance inside its own dashboard. A higher click-through rate does not prove that a variation created extra sales.
Compare blended sales, not only platform-attributed results. Our guide to platform ROAS versus incremental ROAS explains the difference.
Weigh both sides. An AI feature may help performance, and turning it off may cost results. Keeping it on means accepting the risk wording in Meta's terms. Your own sales data is the fairest way to judge that trade.
The wider picture
Every major ad platform is adding AI that writes, edits or picks ads. Some features start switched on. Meta's new terms are a reminder to read what each platform says about responsibility.
If you are deciding where your budget should go, our Google Ads and Facebook Ads comparison explains the channel differences. See our Meta Ads management service if you want a named owner for the account.
Find out what your ad accounts are really doing
Before the new terms land, get a clear view of what is switched on and what your spend produces. Our free review covers Google Ads and Meta settings and tracking.
FAQ
When do Meta's new Commercial Terms take effect?
Meta told Reuters on 23 October 2026 that it is moving the effective date from 30 October to 20 November 2026. Meta's terms page still showed 30 October when checked on 26 October, so check the page for the latest date.
Do I have to agree to Meta's new ad terms?
The terms do not require a separate opt-in. Meta says continued business use after notice of an update means agreement. Ask a solicitor what that means for your business.
Am I responsible for ads Meta's AI creates or edits?
The preview says the business is solely responsible for the risks of Meta's AI features and resulting content. This is a general reading, not legal advice.
Can I turn off Advantage+ creative enhancements?
Meta says some enhancements may be on by default, but you can turn them off at any time. Check each ad and decide feature by feature.
Sources
- Meta, Commercial Terms preview
- Meta, Self-Serve Ad Terms
- Meta, Ad Creative Generative AI Terms
- Meta for Business, Meta Advantage+ creative
- Reuters via Investing.com, Meta to delay new commercial terms (23 October 2026)
- PPC Land, Meta delays website-crawling terms to Nov 20 (23 October 2026)
- Relevant Audience, Meta delays its new Commercial Terms to 20 November (24 October 2026)