The social network X, formerly known as Twitter, has been ordered by the courts to pay an amount of 170,000 euros to Agence France-Presse (AFP) due to its negligence in providing commercial data to assess the revenues generated by journalistic content. This decision is part of the dispute concerning the respect for neighboring rights, which aims to compensate publishers and press agencies for the use of their content by digital platforms.
Neighboring Rights and Legal Context
The neighboring right, established in 2019 by a European directive, allows press titles to be compensated when their works are used by digital giants like X, Google, or Facebook. This legislative framework aims to protect journalistic production and ensure fair compensation for content published on these platforms. The conflict between AFP and X particularly concerns the agency’s desire to have its rights respected for the use of its content.
The ruling of the Paris court
In a decision delivered on Thursday, the judicial court of Paris confirmed X’s condemnation to pay 170,000 euros to the AFP. This compensation includes legal fees, and the court emphasized that the attitude of the social network jeopardized the democratic challenge of a free and pluralistic press. The judges, in their order, recalled the obligation for the network to provide data such as the number of views and the engagement rate on AFP’s content.
Financial Consequences for X
In addition to this compensation, X faces a new daily penalty of 30,000 euros starting February 10, as long as it does not fulfill its transparency obligations towards several newspapers, including Le Monde and Le Figaro. This significant amount aims to encourage the social network to comply with the requests of press publishers, highlighting the growing pressure on digital platforms to respect neighboring rights.
Reactions from the Press Sector
AFP’s reaction to this decision has been positive, with its CEO, Fabrice Fries, expressing satisfaction at the recognition of X’s obstruction. For him, this is a step towards fair compensation for press agencies and publishers. From Le Figaro’s side, Marc Feuillée also praised the penalty as being fair while lamenting that the core issue, that of payment for neighboring rights, remains unresolved.
Ongoing Dispute and Future Perspectives
The dispute between X and the media is not limited to this single decision. At the end of 2024, the newspapers involved and the AFP have initiated proceedings to obtain the payment and recognition of neighboring rights. This process could extend over several months given the complexity and slowness of judicial procedures. Meanwhile, other stakeholders in the sector, such as Les Echos and Le Parisien, have chosen to withdraw their initial requests.
Meanwhile, questions remain about the implications of this case on the relationships between digital platforms and media players. The media landscape is in transformation, and this decision could influence how content is shared and compensated in the future.
