Meta Rejects EU AI Code, Calls It a Threat to Innovation

Tone & Political Bias: Weakly Right-Leaning

Why: Prioritizes corporate growth and regulatory restraint, emphasizes potential harms of government overreach on innovation, and quotes a Meta executive with past ties to conservative U.S. politics.

Meta Refuses to Sign EU's AI Code of Practice

Meta Platforms has publicly declined to sign the European Union’s voluntary artificial intelligence code of practice, calling the measure excessive and harmful to AI development.

Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Global Affairs Chief, made the announcement in a LinkedIn post on Friday. He criticized the EU’s approach, claiming the code introduces legal uncertainties and extends far beyond the boundaries of the AI Act passed last year.

“Europe is heading down the wrong path on AI,” Kaplan wrote. “This code introduces a number of legal uncertainties for model developers, as well as measures which go far beyond the scope of the AI Act.”

Background: The AI Code and the AI Act

The European Commission finalized a set of guidelines last week aimed at helping companies align with the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act, which was passed in 2024. The code is non-binding but intended as a practical tool for implementing transparency and safety requirements for general-purpose AI models.

Key points of the code:

• It targets major AI developers and deployers.

• Participation is voluntary, but intended to set the standard for compliance with the AI Act.

• The AI Act itself is a binding legal framework and comes into effect next month.

  
  

Meta's Main Concerns

Meta’s criticism centers on three main issues:

• Legal uncertainty: Kaplan argues the code adds confusion about what developers must do to comply with the AI Act.

• Scope overreach: He claims the guidelines go beyond what lawmakers agreed to in the official legislation.

• Impact on innovation: According to Meta, the code could discourage growth and experimentation, particularly for startups and developers relying on general-purpose AI systems.

  
  

Kaplan said Meta shares the concerns of other businesses who fear that such regulation could limit Europe’s ability to compete globally in AI.

Meta Joins Other Voices of Opposition

Meta is not alone in pushing back against the EU's new AI framework.

• Earlier this month, European firms ASML Holding and Airbus signed a joint letter calling on the European Commission to delay the rollout of the code for two years.

• The letter argued that the current framework would hurt Europe’s competitiveness in the AI sector.

  
  

Despite that opposition, OpenAI—the U.S. company behind ChatGPT—has agreed to sign the code.

Leadership Change at Meta

Joel Kaplan recently took over the global affairs role from Nick Clegg. Kaplan is a seasoned political operator who previously served as Facebook’s Vice President of U.S. Public Policy and was a member of President George W. Bush’s administration.

His appointment signals a shift in Meta’s approach to regulatory engagement, especially in high-stakes areas like artificial intelligence and international policy.

The Broader Debate

The disagreement highlights a growing rift between tech companies and governments over how best to regulate artificial intelligence. Supporters of the EU’s AI Act and code say it is necessary to ensure ethical development and public safety. Critics argue it may hinder innovation and place Europe at a disadvantage compared to the U.S. and China.

The European Commission has not responded directly to Meta’s refusal, but has emphasized that the code remains voluntary and open to future revisions.