BRAZIL · TECHNOLOGY AND LAW
Key Facts
- The ruling A São Paulo court granted an injunction on 3 November against Meta, according to the three media groups that sued.
- The ban Meta may not collect or use member outlets’ content without authorisation, including to train AI.
- The penalty R$1 million a day if Meta does not comply, capped at R$100 million.
- The date Meta’s new terms were due on 20 November; the order suspends part of them.
- What we have not seen The court file, a Meta response to the Brazil ruling, or an appeal.
A São Paulo court has barred Meta from using news content from the outlets of three Brazilian media groups to train its artificial intelligence, according to those groups. The order is preliminary, it covers member outlets only, and we have not seen the court file.
This explainer sets out what the order says, what Meta’s new terms say, how the Norwegian order fits in, and what to watch next. We update it when something changes; the last update was on 4 November 2026.
What the Court Ordered
The 44th Civil Court of São Paulo granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, according to the national newspaper association ANJ. The associations name Judge Guilherme Madeira Dezem as the judge.
The plaintiffs are ANJ, the broadcasters’ association Abert and the magazine publishers’ association Aner. They sued Meta over commercial terms the company planned to apply from 20 November.
The associations say the order stops Meta from collecting and using their members’ content without authorisation, including to develop and train AI systems. It also suspends part of Meta’s commercial terms and requires Meta to keep members’ accounts, pages and tools fully active, with no blocks, restrictions or penalties for refusing the new terms.
The fine for non-compliance is R$1 million a day, capped at R$100 million, as reported. The injunction lasts until the case is finally judged.
The associations say the court saw indications of copyright infringement and contractual abuse. That is their description of the reasoning, because the decision itself has not been published.
What Meta’s Terms Say
The disputed text is part of Meta’s commercial terms for businesses that use Facebook and Instagram, according to trade reports. An early version let Meta use automated tools to crawl websites linked to a business’s use of its products, and to use the content to train AI.
The word “train” was removed after the terms were first reported on 15 October. The revised text refers to developing and improving advertising and business products, which publishers argue still covers generative AI.
Under the terms, continued use of Meta’s business products after notice counts as acceptance. Publishers say there is no way to refuse the crawling clause without leaving the platform.
Meta has said content owners could use robots.txt to signal their preferences, according to one trade report. The same report notes that no version of the terms mentions robots.txt.
The start date was first 30 October, and Meta moved it to 20 November in late October. On 28 October Meta’s communications chief said the company did not plan policy changes without a full consultation with industry groups, and that the consultation could run past 20 November, in which case implementation would be delayed.
Who the Order Covers
Press reports describe the order as covering outlets tied to the three associations. We have not seen the decision, so we cannot say how far it reaches beyond members.
It is a preliminary ruling, not a final judgment, and the associations call it a first step. They describe it as the first known decision of its kind for a coalition of media groups, which is their characterisation.
Timeline
- 15 October 2026: trade press first reports Meta’s terms; Meta then removes the word “train”.
- Late October: Meta moves the start date from 30 October to 20 November.
- 27 October: a Norwegian trade body files for an injunction on behalf of ten media groups.
- 28 October: the Oslo District Court temporarily blocks the terms, according to reports.
- 3 November: the São Paulo court grants the injunction to ANJ, Abert and Aner.
- 20 November: scheduled start of the terms, which Meta has said could be delayed.
Norway and Other Moves
The Oslo order was issued on an emergency basis, according to a news agency report. Reports do not make clear whether it covers only the claimants or all Norwegian businesses, and the court has not yet ruled on whether the clauses are valid.
The European Publishers Council signed a letter on 21 October asking the European Commission to block the terms, according to a trade report. The UK competition authority has been in urgent talks with Meta and says it will keep scrutinising the terms, according to a press report.
A US senator wrote to Meta on 27 October about the terms. We have not seen any US court ruling on these specific terms.
Brazil’s Legal Backdrop
This is not the first time Brazil has stopped a Meta AI plan. In July 2024 Brazil’s data protection authority suspended a change to Meta’s privacy policy that would have allowed AI training on users’ data, and Meta suspended its generative AI features in the country.
That earlier case was about personal data. The 2026 case is about published journalism, and the plaintiffs are the media groups themselves.
What to Watch Next
- Whether Meta appeals the São Paulo order or comments publicly.
- Whether Meta delays or changes the terms before 20 November.
- Further steps in the Oslo case and any European Commission or UK action.
- Any further regulatory or court step in Brazil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did a Brazilian court really bar Meta from using news to train AI?
According to ANJ, Abert and Aner, yes: a São Paulo court granted a preliminary injunction on 3 November 2026. We have not seen the court file.
Does the order cover every news outlet?
Reports describe it as covering outlets tied to the three associations. It is not reported to cover outlets outside them.
When do Meta’s new terms start?
Meta scheduled 20 November 2026. It has said the date could slip if its consultation with industry groups runs longer.
Has Meta responded or appealed?
In the reports we reviewed there was no Meta response to the Brazil ruling and no appeal. We will update this page if that changes.
Is this the first such ruling?
The associations call it the first known decision of its kind for a coalition of media groups. The Oslo District Court issued an interim order on the same terms on 28 October.
Part of our dossier: Can Meta Train AI on Brazilian News?
Sources: joint note of ANJ, Abert and Aner of 3 November 2026; reports on the Oslo order and Meta’s terms by trade and news agencies; our report Brazil Court Stops Meta Training AI on News. Last updated 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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