Polish Regulators Investigate Facebook’s Handling of Press Links

The Polish Competition and Consumer Protection Office (UOKiK) has officially opened an investigation into Facebook’s handling of links to Polish press content on its platform. The inquiry, which began on Tuesday, stems from concerns over declining engagement with Polish journalistic content on the social media giant.

According to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), the investigation focuses on recent changes made by Meta, Facebook’s parent company, regarding how news articles from Polish publishers are displayed. Previously, Polish articles on Facebook were accompanied by images, but the new format shows them only as links. This adjustment, according to UOKiK, has potentially led to a reduction in article views and subsequently impacted the revenues of Polish publishers.

UOKiK Director Tomasz Chróstny emphasized the significance of Facebook as a distribution platform for media outlets. “Media outlets regard Facebook as a crucial platform for content distribution,” he noted, stressing that changes affecting how content is displayed could have widespread repercussions for the local journalism industry.

Meta, in a statement to PAP, explained that the changes are temporary and were made in response to Poland’s implementation of Article 15 of the EU Copyright Directive. This law allows publishers to negotiate compensation for the use of their content, including when it appears in search results or on social media. Meta suggested that the changes were a necessary adjustment to comply with the new legislation.

Per UOKiK’s press release, the regulator is investigating whether Meta’s actions could amount to competition-restricting practices. If found guilty of such practices, the tech giant could face financial penalties of up to 10 percent of its turnover.

Poland’s investigation is not an isolated case, as Meta has been embroiled in similar disputes with media organizations around the globe. Last year, Canadian news was temporarily blocked on Facebook, severely impacting journalism in that country. Meanwhile, Australia narrowly avoided a similar situation by entering negotiations with Meta. Additionally, Italy lodged a VAT claim against the tech company, bringing the issue before the EU Commission for further assessment.

As UOKiK’s inquiry progresses, the outcome could have significant implications not just for Polish media but for how global tech companies interact with national legislation and local press outlets.

Source: Polish Press Agency