France news agency AFP sues Elon Musk’s X, cites refusal to discuss payment for news

Agence France-Presse (AFP) said on Wednesday it filed a lawsuit in Paris against Elon Musk’s X social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, accusing it of failing to discuss potential payment for the distribution of the news agency’s content.

France in 2019 enacted a copyright rule dubbed “neighbouring rights” that compels large online platforms to open talks with publishers seeking remuneration for news.

“Agence France-Presse has expressed its concerns over the clear refusal from Twitter (recently rebranded as ‘X’) to enter into discussions regarding the implementation of neighbouring rights for the press,” the news agency said in a statement.