Paris, September 28, 2026
The French Federation of News Agencies (FFAP) today filed a complaint with the Competition Authority alleging that Google has failed to honor the commitments it made in 2022, following the launch this summer in France of “AI Overviews” and “AI Mode” within its search engine.
This complaint is motivated in particular by the fact that the rollout of these new services—which allow users to access an AI-generated response instead of the traditional list of clickable links leading to web pages—took place without any negotiation with the FFAP. Google simply presented the news agencies with a fait accompli.
And this is despite the fact that these new services are having major impacts, which have been documented for over two years around the world—with France being one of the last countries to experience this revolution in Google’s search engine.
The information produced by journalists in the newsrooms of news agencies is one of the driving forces, one of the raw materials, behind the new services offered by Google. It is because this information is of high quality, and because FFAP member agencies hold CPPAP accreditation, that Google uses, in particular, the protected content of news agencies to power its new services.
For two centuries, news agencies have been a vital source of information for the press and the media. They have always been at the cutting edge of technology, starting with Havas, the predecessor of AFP, which as early as the 19th century used the telegraph to transmit its news—first within France, then around the world.
However, the development of these new services cannot take place without good-faith negotiations and a balanced framework that ensures news agencies receive fair and equitable compensation for their content.
Today, the FFAP’s member news agencies are calling on the Competition Authority to ensure a balanced relationship with Google and that Google honors the commitments it has made.
With its three member unions—SAPHIR (photo), SAPI (text), and SATEV (audio and video)—the FFAP brings together 83 news agencies that collectively generate a combined revenue of approximately 450 million euros, representing about 75% of the total revenue generated by all news agencies in France.
SAPHIR, the French union representing photographic news agencies within the FFAP, is a member of CEPIC. CEPIC supports its members in advocating for the protection and fair remuneration of visual content, and for transparent and equitable relationships between content creators, rights holders and technology platforms. We stand with SAPHIR and the wider news agency community in calling for meaningful dialogue around the use and value of professionally produced content in the development of AI-powered services.