If you run Facebook or Instagram ads, Meta’s updated Commercial Terms and Self-Serve Ad Terms apply from November 20, 2026. The biggest change is a new section called “AI Features” that says Meta’s AI tools may make mistakes, and the risk is yours. This applies whether or not anyone on your team has touched an AI setting.
Meta pushed the date back from October 30 to November 20 after complaints from publishers and advertisers. A spokesperson told Reuters the company wanted more time to explain what is changing. The content of the terms has not changed, only the effective date.
This is not hypothetical. The digital agency Exverus told Adweek that Meta’s AI has been adding sitelinks, translating copy, and creating AI images and carousels from brands’ own photos, sometimes on ads where the advertiser never switched the feature on.
What the New Terms Say
The updated terms add four key points about AI features:
- Mistakes are expected. You “acknowledge and agree that AI features may make mistakes and may not always produce accurate, complete, or suitable results.”
- The risk is yours. You are “solely responsible for and assume any and all risks associated with such AI features and any resulting Ad Creative.”
- Review is on you. You are responsible for your ads, “including for reviewing, approving or removing them, even when you use our automated features.”
- Labels stay. You may not remove the watermarks or markers that Meta’s AI attaches to what it creates.
Two things have not changed. Meta’s liability to you is capped at $100 or what you have paid in the past 12 months, whichever is greater. And if you keep advertising after November 20, you have accepted the new terms.
What Meta’s AI Is Already Changing in Live Ads
This is not a future risk. It is happening now. Ryan Adams, a paid search and social specialist at Exverus, told Adweek that “Meta auto-applies the enhancements, and many of the options are tucked away in hidden or collapsed menus.” Even after several rounds of checks, the agency has had to pull live ads to strip out changes that slipped through.
Bookshop.org wrote on Threads that an account update opted it into new features, and that one of its ads was “enhanced” (or ruined, really) by Meta without their knowledge.
A Meta spokesperson did not directly answer when asked by Adweek whether advertisers are responsible for AI features they never switched on. The spokesperson said advertisers can turn off individual Advantage+ features in Ads Manager at any time.
What This Means for Small Businesses in India
If you boost posts or run ads for a local business in Chandigarh, Mohali, or anywhere in India, these terms cover you. You do not need to be a large agency to be affected.
An AI-written line promising a discount you do not offer is still your ad. A carousel Meta created from your photos without your knowledge is still your responsibility. And your business insurance may not cover AI mistakes, according to a separate report from Wiregrass AI.
The terms also let Meta crawl websites tied to your business for its ad and business products. After objections, Meta removed a reference to AI training and says site owners can use robots.txt to signal their preferences.
If you need help auditing your Meta ad campaigns for unwanted AI changes, that is something we do regularly for clients.
Five Things to Do Before November 20
- Check the Advantage+ creative settings on every active ad. Turn off any enhancement you have not approved, and check new ads the same way before they publish.
- Look at your ads the way customers do. Check what is actually running, not just what you built. Screenshot the version you approved.
- Keep your website current. Meta’s AI can add links to pages on your site, so make sure the prices, hours, and specials on them are correct.
- Ask whoever runs your ads. If an agency or employee manages your account, ask which AI features are on and who checks the results.
- Write down your rules. Create one page documenting which AI features you allow in your ads and who reviews an ad before and after it runs.
The Bigger Picture: Meta vs Google in AI Advertising
The timing of these terms is not accidental. CNBC reported on November 1 that Meta’s ad revenue grew 26% in the third quarter of 2026 to $63.1 billion, while Google’s search revenue grew just 12% to $63.4 billion. That 14-point growth gap is the widest in Meta’s favor since 2021.
Meta is investing heavily in AI for ad targeting and creative, and it is working for their business. The new terms transfer some of the risk to you, the advertiser, for the output of that AI. Nate Elliott, an analyst at Emarketer, told CNBC that changing search habits are “potentially catastrophic for Google’s ad business.”
For advertisers, this means both platforms are pushing more AI into your campaigns, and you need to stay on top of what it is doing. Reviewing your ad packages and settings should become a regular monthly task, not a one-time check.
Want a professional audit of your Meta and Google ad accounts before the new terms take effect? Book a meeting with us and we will walk you through every AI feature that is on and what to turn off.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Meta’s new ad terms take effect?
The updated Commercial Terms and Self-Serve Ad Terms apply from November 20, 2026. If you continue advertising after that date, you have accepted the new terms.
Am I responsible for AI changes Meta makes to my ads without my knowledge?
The terms say you are responsible for your ads even when you use automated features. Meta’s spokesperson did not directly answer when asked about AI features advertisers never switched on. The safest approach is to check all Advantage+ settings and turn off anything you have not approved.
Can I turn off Meta’s AI features in my ads?
Yes. Meta says you can turn off individual Advantage+ features in Ads Manager at any time. The challenge is finding them, as some options are tucked away in hidden or collapsed menus.
Does this affect businesses in India?
Yes. The terms apply globally to anyone using Meta’s advertising tools. If you run Facebook or Instagram ads from India, you are covered by the same updated terms.
What is the most important thing to check before November 20?
Review every active ad for Advantage+ creative settings, turn off enhancements you have not approved, and look at what is actually running versus what you originally built. Screenshot your approved versions for comparison.