Paris Court of Appeal rejects Meta's challenges to French regulators' interim measures over press publishers' rights

What happened

On 29 October 2026 the Paris Court of Appeal rejected Meta Platforms' appeals against interim measures imposed by France's competition authority over media organisations' publishing rights. The court said Meta's practices, specifically the methods used to determine the amounts payable as "neighbouring rights" to press publishers, may constitute an abuse of a dominant position, which is prohibited under both European and French competition law.

Background

Under EU law, print media may seek payment for the digital use of their content. A previous agreement between Meta and French press associations on the amount due expired in 2024, and the two sides have since failed to agree; French media have received no payment since 2025. The press associations approached France's competition authority, which issued two interim measures against Meta in July 2026 requiring the company to resume talks with media groups, provide them with information about the revenue of its social media platforms and the use of protected content, and not to degrade the way press content is displayed. Meta appealed those measures in August 2026; the court rejected the appeals on 29 October.

Responses

A Meta spokesperson said the company was disappointed, that it would continue to comply with the interim measures and negotiate in good faith. DVP, a media association that includes Le Monde and Les Echos, welcomed the decision.

Context

The dispute concerns payment for the digital use of press publications, a category that includes content published on social media and used for AI training. The court's statement that Meta's practices "may constitute" an abuse of dominance is the court's own provisional characterisation, not a final finding of infringement; the underlying competition proceedings continue.