Leading French newspapers, including “Le Monde”, “Le Figaro”, and “Le Parisien”, announced on Tuesday that they are suing social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, for allegedly using their content without compensation. The publications argue that X owes them payments under France’s ancillary rights law, which mandates digital platforms to pay news outlets for sharing their content.
Unlike tech giants Google and Meta, which have reached agreements with French news publishers, X has not opened negotiations, nor has it complied with a May order from the Paris Court of Justice to disclose information needed to determine payment amounts. Representatives for X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, have not responded to requests for comment on the case.
The newspapers assert that revenue from these ancillary rights is critical for sustaining media independence and quality, which they see as vital to free expression and access to information in France’s democratic society.
A spokesperson for the Paris tribunal confirmed the legal proceedings, with a hearing scheduled for May 15, 2025.
Melissa Enoch
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