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Technology & AI

UK competition watchdog opens an investigation into Meta's terms for publishers and advertisers

The Competition and Markets Authority has opened an investigation into Meta's commercial terms for publishers and advertisers, which it says could let Meta use content from news websites for its own products, including AI features. Meta says there are no grounds for a competition investigation and has put planned changes to its terms on hold.

L 29% · C 14% · R 57% · 7 outlets

Left 0 · Centre-left 2 · Centre 1 · Centre-right 3 · Right 1

How each side framed it

Left-leaning outlets

Left-rated outlets headline it: “Competition watchdog to investigate Meta terms for publishers and businesses” (The Herald (Scotland)).

Centre outlets

Centre-rated outlets headline it: “UK's CMA opens investigation into Meta's terms for publishers and advertisers” (Reuters).

Right-leaning outlets

Right-rated outlets headline it: “Facebook owner Meta under investigation by UK competition watchdog over plans to 'steal' publishers' content to train its AI models by imposing 'exploitative terms' on publishers” (Daily Mail); “Competition watchdog to investigate Meta terms for publishers and businesses” (Evening Standard).

Context

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Sources by lean

Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.

Showing 1 from each side of 7 rated outlets (L 2 / C 1 / R 4). Capped at 1 because that is all we found on the thinnest side. More coverage

Video

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Deep dive

A short prompt for thinking it through. We write a fuller side-by-side deep dive for the day's biggest stories.

A question to hold: What would each side need to see to change its mind?

Try it: open one left and one right article in Sources by lean and note what each takes for granted.

Follow the money

Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.

Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (6 outlets)
OutletLeanOwnership & funding (MBFC)
The Herald (Scotland)Centre-leftThe Glasgow Herald is published by Herald & Times Group, which is owned by Newsquest Media Group Ltd. Newsquest is the second-largest publisher in the United Kingdom, publishing 205 brands including 165 newspapers. Further, Newsquest is owned by US-based Gannett which publishes USA Today. source
ReutersCentreIn April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source
Evening StandardCentre-rightThe newspaper is majority-owned by Russian businessman and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev and the Daily Mail and General Trust. Revenue is generated through advertising. source
ITV NewsCentre-rightNo ownership data found
The TimesCentre-rightThe Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source
Daily MailRightThe Daily Mail is published by Associated Newspapers Limited, part of Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT). DMGT is controlled by the Rothermere family and is 100% owned by Rothermere Continuation Limited. Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere, serves as Chairman..push({}); DMGT became privately owned after delisting from the London Stock Exchange in 2022. source