Italy’s communications regulator Agcom has ordered Meta to pay more than €9 million to GEDI, the publisher of La Repubblica and La Stampa, for the use of its news content on Facebook during 2022. The ruling, announced on 10 July, is the first in Italy to compel a major tech platform to compensate a traditional media group for journalism shared online.
The decision follows the failure of direct negotiations between Meta and GEDI. The payout, between €9 million and €10 million, is well below GEDI’s original €30 million claim, which included content use on Instagram, but far higher than Meta’s reported offer of under €40,000.
Agcom’s ruling is based on regulations introduced last year under Italy’s copyright law, which allow publishers to claim payment from platforms using their content when commercial talks fail. The authority’s formula for calculating payment took into account Meta’s advertising revenues linked to GEDI content, adjusted for indirect revenue generated by traffic to GEDI sites. It also weighted factors such as online views, publisher relevance, employment of journalists, technology investment and editorial standards.
The ruling was not unanimous. Agcom commissioner Elisa Giomi criticised the methodology as “inadequately structured” and warned it risked further disputes. The outcome may also face further legal tests. On the same day as the ruling, an Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union said EU member states are entitled to introduce laws that strengthen publishers’ negotiating power with platforms, provided freedom of contract is preserved. However, the Court’s final judgment is still pending, and a regional court in Lazio has requested clarification on how Italian law should be applied.
The case adds to Meta’s mounting regulatory challenges in Italy. The country’s competition authority recently fined the company €3.5 million for lack of transparency in Instagram’s sign-up process, and Agcom has separately fined Meta €5.85 million for breaching Italy’s long-standing ban on gambling advertising, which applies across all media including social networks.
Meta also faces a potential €870 million VAT claim after Italian tax authorities referred a dispute to the European Commission over whether the exchange of personal data for Facebook and Instagram access constitutes a taxable transaction.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.hwupgrade.it/news/web/meta-deve-pagare-per-le-notizie-in-italia-la-decisione-dell-agcom-contro-il-colosso-dei-social_141085.html – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/eus-top-court-adviser-sides-with-italy-meta-platforms-dispute-2025-07-10/ – An adviser to the European Union’s Court of Justice, Advocate General Maciej Szpunar, has supported Italy in its dispute with Meta Platforms over compensation for publishers. The case concerns a fee Meta must pay Italian publishers for using snippets of their news articles. Szpunar stated that EU member states can implement measures to strengthen publishers’ positions in dealings with large online platforms, provided these do not infringe on freedom of contract. The Court’s final ruling is pending. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/eus-top-court-adviser-sides-with-italy-meta-platforms-dispute-2025-07-10/?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.ansa.it/english/news/business/2024/06/05/italian-antitrust-fines-meta-fined-3.5-million-euros_6dad0ec9-9905-40a2-8aa8-4155290abb8b.html – The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has fined Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. and its parent company Meta Platforms Inc. €3.5 million for unfair commercial practices related to the creation and management of Facebook and Instagram accounts. The fine was imposed for not providing clear information about data collection and use for commercial purposes during the Instagram registration process and for lacking communication regarding account suspensions. Meta disagrees with the penalty and is evaluating possible actions. ([ansa.it](https://www.ansa.it/english/news/business/2024/06/05/italian-antitrust-fines-meta-fined-3.5-million-euros_6dad0ec9-9905-40a2-8aa8-4155290abb8b.html?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.thelocal.it/20231223/italy-fines-meta-for-hosting-gambling-advertising – Italy’s communications authority, AGCOM, has fined Meta €5.85 million for hosting gambling advertising on Facebook and Instagram. The investigation found promotional material for betting or games involving money on 18 profiles/accounts (five on Instagram and 13 on Facebook), as well as 32 sponsored contents. Italy has outlawed gambling advertising since 2018, with the ban applying to all media, including social networks. ([thelocal.it](https://www.thelocal.it/20231223/italy-fines-meta-for-hosting-gambling-advertising?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.euronews.com/business/2023/12/22/italys-870-million-tax-case-against-meta-heads-to-eu-scrutiny – An audit by Italy’s financial police claims that Meta user registrations could be seen as a taxable transaction since they imply the non-monetary exchange of a membership account for the user’s personal data. The Italian tax claim against Meta has been escalated to the European Commission’s VAT committee for evaluation. The requested opinion will be non-binding, but a ‘No’ could push the ministry and the tax agency to stop challenging Meta. ([euronews.com](https://www.euronews.com/business/2023/12/22/italys-870-million-tax-case-against-meta-heads-to-eu-scrutiny?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.pymnts.com/cpi-posts/top-eu-court-weighs-metas-challenge-to-italys-news-compensation-rule/ – European Union member states are entitled to adopt national measures aimed at strengthening the negotiating power of news publishers when dealing with major online platforms, provided such rules do not interfere with the principle of contractual freedom, according to a senior legal adviser to the EU’s top court. The opinion comes amid an ongoing legal dispute between Meta and Italy’s communications regulator, AGCOM, over a fee Meta is required to pay Italian news publishers for displaying snippets of their content. ([pymnts.com](https://www.pymnts.com/cpi-posts/top-eu-court-weighs-metas-challenge-to-italys-news-compensation-rule/?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.gpwa.org/article/meta-fined-%246-5-million-for-violation-of-italy-gambling-ad-ban-254898 – The Italian Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM) has imposed a €5.85 million (US$6.3 million) fine on Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for violating Italy’s regulations on gambling advertising. AGCOM identified multiple instances of betting and gaming promotions across 13 Facebook profiles and five Instagram accounts, totaling 18 violations. Due to Meta’s ownership of both platforms, the regulatory authority imposed a fine on the company. ([gpwa.org](https://www.gpwa.org/article/meta-fined-%246-5-million-for-violation-of-italy-gambling-ad-ban-254898?utm_source=openai))
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The ruling by Italy’s Communications Authority (Agcom) on July 10, 2025, requiring Meta to compensate GEDI for the use of journalistic content, is recent and has not been widely reported elsewhere. The earliest known publication date of similar content is July 10, 2025. The narrative appears original and not recycled. The report is based on Agcom’s official decision, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The article includes updated data and does not recycle older material. No similar content has appeared more than 7 days earlier. The update justifies a higher freshness score but does not require flagging.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Agcom’s official statement and from Advocate General Maciej Szpunar’s opinion. These quotes are unique to this report and have not been found in earlier material. No identical quotes appear in earlier sources, indicating potentially original or exclusive content.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative originates from a reputable source, Agcom, which is the official regulatory authority in Italy. The report is based on Agcom’s official decision and includes direct quotes from Agcom’s statement and Advocate General Maciej Szpunar’s opinion. This adds credibility to the report. However, the source is not a widely known media outlet, which slightly reduces the reliability score.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims made in the narrative are plausible and consistent with recent developments in Italy’s media and regulatory landscape. The ruling by Agcom aligns with previous decisions, such as the fine imposed on Microsoft for similar content remuneration. The language and tone are consistent with official communications from Agcom. No inconsistencies or suspicious elements were found.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is recent, original, and based on official sources, with no discrepancies or suspicious elements found. The source, Agcom, is a reputable authority, and the claims made are plausible and consistent with recent developments. Therefore, the overall assessment is a PASS with high confidence.
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