Key facts
- France's competition authority ordered Meta Platforms to resume negotiations with French media groups regarding payments for content.
- The watchdog stated that Meta's methods for calculating publishing fees likely constituted an abuse of its dominant position.
- Meta has been instructed to provide details of its payment plan within 15 days.
- The case is one of several globally between publishers and tech companies over content usage fees.
- Previous agreements between Meta and French press associations expired in 2024, leading to a halt in payments.
France's competition authority has ordered Meta Platforms to resume negotiations with French media groups concerning payments for the use of their published content. The decision follows complaints from publishers after previous talks collapsed.
The French watchdog stated that Meta's practices in calculating fees were likely an abuse of its dominant position. Consequently, the social media giant has been directed to present a detailed payment plan within 15 days.
This action is part of a broader trend of legal disputes between media organizations and technology companies over remuneration for content, including its use for AI training. In the European Union, 'neighboring rights' legislation allows print media outlets to seek payment for the digital use of their intellectual property.
A prior agreement between Meta and French press associations, including those representing Les Echos and Le Monde, expired in 2024. Since then, the parties have failed to reach a new agreement on payment amounts, resulting in French media receiving no compensation from Meta.
Benoit Coeure, president of the antitrust authority, clarified that the issue was not a refusal to negotiate but rather a refusal by Meta to consider alternative calculation methodologies or share necessary data. The authority's intervention aims to ensure fair compensation for publishers.