France’s competition watchdog says Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, is harming the French press by not paying for news content it republishes. In a decision issued Wednesday, the Autorité de la concurrence accuses Meta of practices that it considers likely to constitute an abuse of a dominant position and to cause “serious and immediate harm” to the press sector.
The regulator orders Meta to hold renewed negotiations with two groups representing French media outlets—APIG and DVP—about so-called neighbouring rights. Under a 2019 European directive incorporated into French law, neighbouring rights apply when social media platforms reuse news content. APIG and DVP, which include hundreds of media organizations, had filed complaints after Meta allegedly failed to renew neighbouring rights contracts in late 2024 and early 2025.
The watchdog also requires Meta to provide the complainants with information needed to evaluate remuneration offers within 15 days. The neighbouring-rights dispute is part of broader tensions between French media and major technology firms in recent years, including earlier agreements involving Meta and Google and a separate fine imposed on Google in 2024.
