Meta is signalling a shift on AI licensing, with publishers noting a new willingness to engage, though no roadmap exists yet. At the IAB Tech Lab’s July workshop, Meta stressed fresh leadership and its Superintelligence Labs as drivers of a more open stance. Still, publishers remain cautious given years of declining traffic.
Meta has few AI licensing deals compared to rivals like OpenAI, which has secured major partnerships. Many publishers continue blocking Meta’s crawlers, unlike Google’s, due to fewer risks of traffic loss. Industry voices argue Meta needs premium content access to compete effectively.
Meanwhile, the IAB Tech Lab is advancing its AI Content Monetisation Protocols, aiming to set standards for remuneration and crawler management. Over 50 companies, including Google and Meta, are involved, though OpenAI, Anthropic and Perplexity were absent. Organisers stress unity among publishers and the need for leverage through blocking non-compliant AI firms.