Meta Platforms has lost its appeals against interim measures imposed by French regulators in a dispute over media publishing rights. The Paris Court of Appeals announced the decision on Thursday.
The measures were introduced in July and require the company to negotiate with press organisations. Meta Platforms must also share information about platform revenue and its use of protected journalistic content.
The company is further required to avoid reducing the visibility of press material. Meta challenged the measures in August, but the appeals court rejected its requests.
The dispute focuses on payments to news publishers for the use of their content on digital platforms. French authorities are examining whether Meta’s practices comply with national and European Union competition rules.
French Court Raises Concerns Over Meta’s Market Position
French law requires digital platforms to obtain permission before reproducing protected press content. It also allows news publishers and press agencies to seek payment for using their material.
These protections fall under neighbouring rights, which cover certain uses of journalistic content by digital platforms. They allow eligible publishers and news agencies to negotiate compensation for their work.
Meta previously held discussions with press organisations to establish payment agreements. However, the negotiations did not produce completed deals.
The organisations then approached French regulators over the dispute. Regulators responded by introducing interim measures in July.
In its statement, the Paris Court of Appeals highlighted concerns about Meta’s position in the market. It also examined the company’s methods for calculating payments to publishers under neighbouring rights rules.
The court said these practices could potentially amount to an abuse of a dominant position. Such conduct may violate French and European Union competition law.
However, the ruling does not represent a final determination that Meta violated competition rules. It concerns interim measures imposed while the dispute continues.
Meta Platforms Responds to the Court’s Decision
A spokesperson for Meta Platforms said the company was disappointed with the court’s decision. The company is assessing its next steps following the rejection of its appeals.
Despite its disappointment, Meta said it would continue complying with the interim measures. The company also committed to negotiating in good faith with press organisations.
The spokesperson expressed hope that publishers would approach the discussions with the same commitment. The negotiations remain central to resolving disagreements over compensation for protected media content.
Dispute Over Payments for Journalistic Content Continues
The case highlights ongoing tensions between digital platforms and traditional media organisations. Publishers argue that their protected content should receive appropriate compensation when platforms use it.
The French measures require Meta to provide relevant information about revenue and content usage. This information is intended to support discussions over payment agreements.
The company must also preserve the visibility of press material while the dispute proceeds. This requirement prevents Meta from reducing the prominence of covered content during the interim period.
The court’s decision means the existing measures will remain in place despite Meta’s appeals. The broader dispute over neighbouring rights and publisher compensation remains unresolved.
In other related news also read Meta to End Encrypted Messaging Feature on Instagram
Further negotiations could help determine whether the parties can reach acceptable payment agreements. Any final assessment of potential competition law violations would remain separate from the ruling on interim measures.
