BRAZIL · TECHNOLOGY AND LAW
Key Facts
- The date Meta’s new business terms are due to start on Friday 20 November 2026.
- Brazil A São Paulo court suspended part of them, ANJ announced on 3 November.
- Norway Oslo District Court barred Meta from applying the changes on 28 October.
- Fine R$1 million (about US$183,000) a day in Brazil, capped at R$100 million (about US$18.3 million).
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
Meta’s new commercial terms are due to start on Friday 20 November 2026, and courts in Brazil and Norway have already suspended the new rules for some publishers. This countdown sets out what is due, where it is suspended and which dates to watch.
For US readers, the test is whether a US platform can start using publishers’ website content for artificial intelligence while courts abroad say no. Our explainer on the São Paulo ruling covers the order in detail, and our plain-language reading of the terms covers the wording.
What Is Due on 20 November
ANJ, Brazil’s national newspaper association, says Meta’s commercial terms are scheduled to take effect on 20 November. In the description by ANJ and its partners, the terms would let automated programs access, copy, store and analyze articles, photos, videos and other content on publishers’ websites.
The associations say continued use of Meta’s platforms would count as accepting these conditions. They add that the permission would reach content published outside Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, including copyrighted works.
What Is Suspended in Brazil
The 44th Civil Court of São Paulo granted a preliminary injunction, ANJ announced on Tuesday 3 November 2026. The plaintiffs are ANJ, Abert, which represents broadcasters, and Aner, which represents magazine publishers.
The order bars Meta from collecting and using member outlets’ content without authorization, including to develop and train AI systems. It also suspends part of the terms and requires Meta to keep member accounts, pages and tools fully active, with no blocks or penalties for refusing the new conditions.
The fine is R$1 million a day (about US$183,000 at the central bank’s 4 November rate of 5.4778 reais per US dollar), capped at R$100 million (about US$18.3 million). The injunction stays in force until a final judgment, and the associations name Judge Guilherme Madeira Dezem.
What Is Suspended in Norway
Oslo District Court ruled on Wednesday 28 October 2026 that Meta may not carry out the changes to its commercial terms until their lawfulness is finally decided, according to MBL, the trade body of Norwegian media companies. The order is an interim injunction, so it does not yet decide whether the terms are lawful.
Ten Norwegian media groups announced on 27 October that they were asking the court for the order, and MBL published the announcement. MBL’s chair says the court agreed that Meta holds a dominant position and that the terms are unreasonable, but we have not seen the ruling itself.
What to Watch Before 20 November
Friday 20 November 2026 is the only fixed date in either case so far. In the documents we reviewed, Meta has not said whether it will appeal, change the wording or delay the start.
None of the sources we reviewed says Meta will delay the start. Both orders last until a final decision, so a delay would not end either case.
Two steps are undated: any appeal against the São Paulo order, and the next stage of the Oslo case, where a court must still decide whether the terms are lawful. We update our dossier on Meta, AI and news when either one is filed.
What It Means for You
If you run a Facebook or Instagram business page, MBL says the terms are a business-account contract that affects every Norwegian business with such a page. Whether they reach accounts in the United States, and from what date, has not been confirmed.
The São Paulo order covers only the member outlets of the three associations that sued. How far the Oslo order reaches beyond the media groups that asked for it has not been published.
What Is Not Known
Neither decision has been published in full, so the reasoning is known only through the parties’ own descriptions. Meta’s response is not in the notes we reviewed.
It is not known whether Meta will apply the terms elsewhere on 20 November, or whether it will rewrite them first. Our earlier report on the São Paulo ruling is linked for background.
More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Due on 20 November?
Meta’s new commercial terms are scheduled to take effect on Friday 20 November 2026, according to the Brazilian associations. The Norwegian trade body MBL says they cover Facebook and Instagram business accounts.
Where Are Meta’s Terms Suspended?
Oslo District Court barred Meta from applying the changes on 28 October, and a São Paulo court suspended part of the terms, ANJ announced on 3 November. The Brazilian order covers only the member outlets of three associations.
Will Meta Still Start the Terms on 20 November?
Meta has not said, in the documents we reviewed, whether it will delay, change or appeal. Both orders are set to last until a final decision.
Sources: ANJ, note of the joint action by ANJ, Abert and Aner on the São Paulo injunction, 3 November 2026; Mediebedriftenes Landsforening (MBL), Norwegian media companies go to court to stop Meta, 27 October 2026; MBL, Norwegian media companies win in court against Meta, 28 October 2026; Central Bank of Brazil, PTAX exchange rate, 4 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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