Legal action is sought after X is accused by Le Monde, Le Figaro, and others of failing to pay for the distribution of their content.

The social media behemoth X platform legal action from a number of prominent French publications who claim the company is utilizing their content rights X without their consent.

Le Figaro, Les Echos, Le Parisien, Le Monde, Telerama, Huffington Post, Courrier International, Malesherbes Publications, and Le Nouvel Obs are among the publications involved in Tuesday's united action. The media outlets claimed they were entitled to payment under their ancillary rights, which are owed when news information is republished on social media platforms in accordance with a European regulation that was incorporated into French law.

They said that, in contrast to Google and Meta Platforms Inc. of Alphabet Inc., X, then known as twitter, has never consented to begin talks with French news publishers. Additionally, they stated that Elon Musk's company, X, has not cooperated with a May decision by the Paris Court of Justice to produce material needed to determine the sum owed.

In a statement, the newspaper claimed that the money generated by these rights, along with the investments it would allow its recipients to make, would improve the media's independence, plurality, and quality—all of which are critical for the right to information and freedom of expression in their democratic society.

A Paris judicial official acknowledged the complaint and stated that a hearing was set for May 15. In a related dispute, the news agency AFP announced in August that it was suing X in the Paris Judicial Court.

The French news agency released a statement in which AFP voiced its concerns over Twitter's (recently renamed as "X") blatant reluctance to engage in dialogue around the implementation of press neighboring rights. These rights were created to allow digital platforms that keep the majority of the money made from the circulation of news information to pay publishers and news organizations, it continued.