Facebook Signs Copyright Deal with Some French Publishers

Facebook logo is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration photo taken March 16, 2021. Picture taken March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Facebook logo is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration photo taken March 16, 2021. Picture taken March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
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Facebook Signs Copyright Deal with Some French Publishers

Facebook logo is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration photo taken March 16, 2021. Picture taken March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Facebook logo is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration photo taken March 16, 2021. Picture taken March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Facebook said on Thursday it had signed a preliminary copyright agreement with a French news publishers' lobby group, paving the way for it to pay for news content on its platforms in France.

The accord takes the form of a "term sheet" of a few pages, a source close to the matter said, and follows months of talks with Alliance de la presse d'information generale (APIG), a lobby representing leading dailies such as Le Monde, Le Figaro and Les Echos.

The preliminary deal lists the main principles of the accord and the copyright fees due to each of its members, the same source told Reuters.

The "term sheet" will soon be followed by a framework agreement that will allow APIG's members to sign individual licenses with Facebook, the source said.

There will be two types of licenses, the source said: one for the use of news content on Facebook's main platform and one for its upcoming Facebook News service, which will curate stories from a select set of publications.

In a similar agreement reached with APIG, Alphabet's Google tied the remuneration of news content to the use of its "News Showcase" service, a condition condemned by France's competition authority.

Facebook News will be launched in France in 2022, the US company said.

The US social media group provided no detail about the content of the agreement. It has already signed a license with Le Monde over the use of the newspaper's content, the head of Le Monde group Louis Dreyfus said.

Facebook's deal with APIG follows the early adoption by France of a European Union directive that creates a so-called "neighboring right" for news content online, compelling large online platforms to open discussions with news publishers to find a recurring remuneration scheme for news.



Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators

Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators
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Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators

Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators

Meta Platforms plans to offer Instagram and Facebook users in Europe the option to receive "less personalized ads," the tech giant announced on Tuesday, in an effort to allay regulators' mounting concerns.

The Menlo Park, California-based company said it is implementing these changes in response to demands from EU regulators.

Over the coming weeks, people in the EU who use the company's social media platforms for free with ads, will be able to choose to see ads based on what Meta calls "context"- content that a user sees during a particular session on the platforms.

According to Reuters, these ads will also target users based on age, gender, and location, with some being unskippable for a few seconds.

Meta also plans to reduce the price of ad-free subscriptions by about 40% for European users.

This move comes as European regulators intensify efforts to curb Big Tech's power and level the playing field for smaller firms, including through the landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA) which came into force earlier this year.

The European Union law aims to make it easier for people to move between competing online services like social media platforms, internet browsers and app stores.

Last month, Europe's top court ruled that Meta must restrict the use of personal data harvested from Facebook for targeted advertising, supporting privacy activist Max Schrems.

The European Union did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The developments were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Earlier in November, Reuters reported that Apple is set to be fined by the European Union's antitrust regulators under the bloc's landmark rules aimed at managing Big Tech's influence, making it the first company to be sanctioned.