Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, is being sued by Agence France-Press (AFP), the oldest news agency in the world, Insider reported.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, August 2, AFP said it had filed a lawsuit against X due to the latter's "clear refusal" to negotiate payment for the distribution of AFP's news material.
The news organization is asking a Paris court to issue an injunction compelling X to provide "all the necessary elements required for assessing the remuneration."
AFP vs. Elon Musk's X
This illustration photo created in Los Angeles, California, on July 24, 2023, shows the Twitter bird logo in the background of the Twitter page of Elon Musk, advertising a possible X as a replacement Twitter logo.
Concerning a 2019 copyright regulation in France known as neighboring rights, a legal battle has broken out. The document asserts that websites that copy and distribute news articles should compensate the publishers for doing so.
According to Euronews, the French Competition Authority issued Google with its largest-ever punishment of €500 million (about $550 million) in 2021 for failing to comply with laws requiring it to negotiate compensation with the press in good faith.
In response to AFP's legal action, Musk posted on X, "This is bizarre. They want us to pay *them* for traffic to their site where they make advertising revenue and we don't!?"
This is bizarre. They want us to pay *them* for traffic to their site where they make advertising revenue and we don’t!?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 3, 2023
The news organization stated, "As a leading advocate for the adoption of neighboring rights for the press, AFP remains unwavering in its commitment to the cause, even four years after the law's adoption ... The Agency will continue to employ the appropriate legal means with each relevant platform to ensure the fair distribution of the value generated by the sharing of news content."
As a result of a new rule mandating that digital firms pay media organizations for hosting Canadian news on their platforms, Meta disabled news availability in Canada the day before AFP filed action.
Also Read: Facebook, Instagram News Ban in Canada Officially Begins
Facebook, Instagram News Ban in Canada
Meta has begun restricting news in Canada on both Facebook and Instagram, making it impossible for its users to see articles and videos related to current events on those social media platforms.
The nation's Online News Act forces tech firms to pay news publishers for their material, prompting Mark Zuckerberg's newest move.
Canadian Facebook and Instagram users woke up to the news blackout, finding their feeds empty of headlines, breaking articles, and trusted news sources.
The Canadian government called Meta's decision "irresponsible." Canada's Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, who negotiated with the Zuck-owned company, condemns the action. She adds, "They would rather block their users from accessing good quality and local news instead of paying their fair share to news organizations."
Also Read: Twitter Blames Anti-Hate Speech Group for Losing Millions in Ads Revenue, Lawsuit Claims
