French News Letter Sues Social Media Platform X For Use Of Unpaid Content

Platform X was sued by the publisher of French newspapers. (photo: x @lemondefr)

JAKARTA - Several major French newspapers, including Le Monde, Letama, and Le Parisien, announced on Tuesday 12 November that they were taking legal action against social media platform X over alleged use of their content without payment. Meanwhile, representatives of X have not yet responded to requests for comment.

The newspapers confirm that they are entitled to payment based on related rights (ancillary rights) that allow news outlets to accept payments from digital platforms for their content distribution.

According to their statement, X, formerly known as Twitter, was never willing to open negotiations with French news publishers, in contrast to Alphabet Inc (Google) and Meta Platforms Inc. which had already made similar deals.

They also said that X, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, had not complied with orders issued by the Paris Court in May to disclose the information needed to calculate the amount to be paid.

"The income from these rights, with investments that can be made by the recipients, is an impetus for diversity, independence, and quality of the media, which is essential for freedom of expression and the right to information in our democratic society," said a statement from the newspapers.

A Paris court spokesman confirmed the case and stated that the trial was scheduled for May 15, 2025.