Paris Court Rejects Meta Appeals Over Press Payment Rules

The Paris Court of Appeals rejected appeals by Meta Platforms on Thursday against interim measures imposed by France's antitrust authority, the Autorité de la Concurrence. The ruling upholds requirements issued in July that compel the company to negotiate payment agreements with press organizations for the digital reproduction of their work.

The court found that Meta's methods for determining payments for neighboring rights may constitute an abuse of a dominant position, which is prohibited under both French and European competition law. These measures require Meta to disclose revenue data related to the use of protected content and ensure the quality of how press content is displayed is maintained.

Meta had previously attempted to negotiate payment terms, but those talks remained incomplete, leading regulators to mandate the current transparency rules. While expressing disappointment with the decision, Meta stated it will comply with the interim measures and continue to negotiate in good faith while broader antitrust proceedings continue.