French Regulator Orders Meta to Resume Media Payment Talks

The Autorité de la concurrence, France's competition watchdog, ordered Meta Platforms on Wednesday to resume copyright payment negotiations and present a payment plan to French media groups within 15 days. The regulator found that Meta likely abused its dominant market position, causing serious and immediate harm to the press sector by continuing to distribute news content without compensation after previous agreements expired in late 2024 and early 2025.

The order follows complaints from the Société des Droits Voisins de la Presse (DVP) and l’Alliance de la Presse d’Information Générale (APIG). These organizations, representing hundreds of publications including Le Monde and Les Echos, alleged that Meta withheld financial data necessary to evaluate fair remuneration and improperly limited negotiations to Facebook, excluding Instagram and Threads. The dispute centers on European Union neighboring rights, which entitle publishers to payment for digital content use.

Benoit Coeure, president of the authority, stated that the agency declined to set a specific provisional fee amount to avoid creating a focal point that might influence the negotiations. The regulator's action aligns with a May 2026 Court of Justice of the European Union ruling allowing member states to mandate economic transparency from digital platforms. While Meta stated it disagrees with the regulator's conclusions, the company committed to engaging in the process to reach a fair deal.