PARIS, France (AFP) — France’s competition watchdog Wednesday accused Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, of causing “serious and immediate harm” to French media by failing to compensate it for content it republishes.

It ordered the United States (US) tech giant to hold talks with key newspapers and news agencies on order to pay the so-called neighbouring rights that, under a 2019 European directive adopted into French law, are due when social media platforms republish news content.

Two groups called APIG and DVP that represent hundreds of media outlets — including AFP — had petitioned France’s Competition Authority after they said Meta failed to renew neighbouring rights contracts in early 2025 and late 2024 respectively.