- Major UK news organisations launch SPUR to combat unauthorised AI training use
- Aim to establish licensing standards and secure fair compensation for original reporting
- Initiative underscores concerns over AI’s impact on journalism’s economic sustainability
Some of Britain’s largest news organisations have launched a coalition to challenge the unauthorised use of journalism by AI developers.
Leaders of the BBC, Financial Times, Guardian, Sky News and Telegraph Media Group have signed an open letter announcing SPUR , Standards for Publisher Usage Rights. The group says it will press for clearer rules and compensation when original reporting is used to train artificial intelligence systems.
The move reflects growing concern among publishers that AI companies are extracting value from their archives without permission, payment or attribution – and in doing so undermining the economics of news production.
In their letter, the signatories argue that while AI presents opportunities, the current system is unbalanced.
“AI raises urgent questions about fairness, consent, attribution, transparency, and trust,” the leaders said. “Our archives have become foundational training material for AI systems… weakening the economic model that supports journalism.”
They warn that widespread scraping of high-quality reporting risks eroding the business models that sustain public-interest journalism.
SPUR aims to replace what it describes as adversarial scraping with a structured licensing market. Its priorities include:
- establishing technical standards to help publishers protect intellectual property
- creating licensing frameworks to reduce friction between newsrooms and technology companies
- advocating regulation to ensure publishers receive fair value for their work
Founding members, including BBC director-general Tim Davie and Guardian chief executive Anna Bateson, describe the initiative as a pivotal moment for democratic accountability. They argue that without sustainable funding for original reporting, access to reliable news will suffer.
SPUR is inviting other media leaders to join as founding members, with the aim of building a global coalition capable of negotiating with technology companies collectively rather than individually.
- https://www.skygroup.sky/en-gb/article/an-open-letter-to-our-fellow-leaders-in-global-media – This open letter, signed by leaders from the BBC, Financial Times, Guardian, Sky News, and Telegraph Media Group, announces the formation of SPUR—Standards for Publisher Usage Rights—to address the unauthorised use of journalism by AI developers.
- https://www.theguardian.com/gnm-press-office/2026/feb/26/major-news-brands-including-the-guardian-form-new-coalition-to-promote-responsible-ai-licensing – The Guardian reports on the formation of SPUR, a coalition of major news brands, including the Guardian, aiming to establish shared technical standards for AI’s use of journalistic content and promote responsible licensing frameworks.
- https://news.sky.com/story/sky-news-forms-consortium-to-drive-push-for-ai-standards-13512156 – Sky News reports on the formation of a consortium by major British news outlets, including the BBC, Financial Times, Guardian, Sky News, and Telegraph Media Group, to develop industry standards for AI’s fair use of their material.
- https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/26/guardian-joins-media-coalition-to-protect-original-journalism-from-unpaid-use-by-ai – The Guardian joins other major UK media companies in urging industry peers to back global frameworks ensuring AI firms pay for the journalism they use, highlighting concerns over unlicensed scraping of content by AI companies.
- https://uk.news.yahoo.com/sky-news-joins-media-leaders-164600775.html – Yahoo News UK reports on Sky News joining other major news outlets in seeking to build a coalition of broadcasters and publishers to set protocols for AI’s fair use of their material, aiming to protect original journalism.
- https://news.sky.com/story/sky-news-joins-media-leaders-to-drive-push-for-ai-standards-to-protect-original-journalism-13512156 – Sky News joins media leaders to drive a push for AI standards to protect original journalism, addressing concerns over AI’s use of news content without a common standard to enable fair use.
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