The Paris Court of Appeal has rejected Meta Platforms’ appeals against interim measures requiring it to negotiate with French media publishers over payments for the use of their content online.
The ruling upholds measures imposed by France’s competition authority in July. These require Meta to resume negotiations, disclose information about platform revenues and the use of protected content, and preserve the conditions under which publishers’ material is displayed during negotiations.
The dispute concerns publishers’ “neighbouring rights,” which allow media organisations to control certain digital uses of their publications and seek remuneration. Negotiations over renewed agreements stalled after earlier arrangements expired, leaving the publishers involved without payments for the relevant uses from early 2025.
The court said Meta’s methods for determining payments could constitute an abuse of a dominant position under French and European competition law. The decision concerns interim safeguards; it does not establish a final finding that Meta breached competition rules.
Meta expressed disappointment with the ruling and said it was assessing its next steps. The company nevertheless said it would continue complying with the measures and negotiating in good faith.
The underlying investigation continues. France’s competition authority has not set an interim payment amount, leaving remuneration to negotiations while it examines the merits of the case.
