French antitrust watchdog orders Meta to resume talks with media groups over publishing fees
The regulator said Meta’s fee-calculation methods may abuse its dominant position and gave the company 15 days to present a payment plan.
- On Wednesday, France's competition authority ordered Meta Platforms to resume negotiations with French media groups over news payments within 15 days, citing likely abuse of its dominant position in fee-calculation methods.
- France pioneered implementation of the European Union copyright directive, establishing 'neighbouring rights' for print media; a prior agreement with press associations DVP and APIG expired in 2024, leaving publishers without payments.
- Negotiations stalled after Meta refused to share data or consider alternative payment methodologies, Benoit Coeure, president of the antitrust authority, told reporters. Publishers contend print advertising has declined for two decades.
- The regulator's 15-day timeline forces Meta to present a concrete payment proposal rather than let talks drift, with formal sanctions threatened if settlement fails.
- Similar disputes over publisher remuneration have spanned from Australia to Canada, positioning this French ruling as a bellwether for how major platforms globally must manage news compensation under neighbouring rights frameworks.
32 Articles
32 Articles
French antitrust watchdog orders Meta to resume talks over fees for publishing content
France’s competition authority on Wednesday ordered Meta Platforms to put forward a payment plan and resume talks with French media groups that are seeking a year of unpaid fees for the use of their content online.
Meta, the owner of Facebook, is ordered by the Autorité de la concurrence to renegotiate in good faith with the French press to pay for the use of its content.
France Pressures Meta in Media Rights Battle
France's competition authority pressed Meta Platforms to propose a payment plan and restart negotiations with French media over unpaid fees. Meta is alleged to have abused its market position to avoid adequately compensating French media for their content used on Meta's platforms. The issue centers on 'neighbouring rights'.
France forces Meta to negotiate with publishers within 15 days
Publishers unpaid since January 2025 must receive Meta's remuneration data within 15 days, an order that stands until France issues a final competition ruling. Continue reading this article on ppc.land. Sign up the PPC Land newsletter to get the latest marketing news.
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