Meta has refused to sign the European Union's code of practice for artificial intelligence, arguing that the guidelines are an overreach that could stifle innovation. The company's Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, stated that the code introduces "legal uncertainties for model developers" and includes "measures which go far beyond the scope of the AI Act". This move comes just weeks before the EU's rules for general-purpose AI models are set to take effect on August 2, 2025.
Kaplan criticized the EU's implementation of the legislation, claiming that it will "throttle the development and deployment of frontier AI models in Europe, and stunt European companies looking to build businesses on top of them." Meta's decision not to sign the code highlights the growing divide between regulators seeking stronger oversight and tech companies wary of protections that might hinder AI development.
The EU's code of practice aims to help companies implement processes and systems to comply with the bloc's legislation for regulating AI. The code requires companies to provide and regularly update documentation about their AI tools and services, ban developers from training AI on pirated content, and comply with content owners' requests to not use their works.
Despite refusing to sign the code, Meta has stated it will comply with the AI Act once it's finalized. The European Commission remains firm on its implementation timeline, with companies expected to comply with the rules by August 2, 2027. Other tech giants, including Alphabet, Microsoft, and Mistral AI, have also expressed reservations about the code.
