Facebook's launch of the News tab in the UK won't leave media outlets uncompensated. The platform plans on paying publishers for contributing to the upcoming section.
Facebook to Pay UK Publishers for News Stories
The News tab is finally coming to Facebook in the UK. The platform announced the rollout in an About Facebook blog post and said that the section is set to launch sometime in January 2021.
Facebook made it clear that it "will pay publishers for content that is not already on the platform, help publishers reach new audiences, and bring more advertising and subscription opportunities."
A solid set of publishers will debut on the News tab upon launch, all of which are home to well-known outlets in the UK. Some of these brands include The Guardian, The Economist, The Independent, The Mirror, Wired, GQ, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, and more.
Much like the News tab in the US, the UK version will also feature top news stories alongside a personalized feed. It will also show suggested content based on the stories that you've viewed and interacted with in the past.
Facebook wants to "build on the success Facebook News has seen in the US." According to the platform, over 95 percent of the traffic that Facebook News brings to publishers are new readers.
An influx of new readers, plus a payment from Facebook only sweetens the deal for publishers in the UK. While Facebook didn't say how much it plans on paying publishers, an article by The Guardian speculates that Facebook could be paying "millions of pounds a year."
The agreement between Facebook and UK news publishers comes at a time when Facebook faces scrutiny from the UK's new tech regulator, the Digital Markets Unit. This group exists to address the concerns over Facebook and Google's growing influence in the world of digital advertising.
In August 2020, Facebook noted that it would be expanding its News tab to several different countries. With the tab set to launch in the UK, the platform is still in "active negotiations" to bring the section to Germany and France.
Facebook will likely end up compensating news publishers as it expands across the world. Countries like France, for example, have placed regulations on the reuse of news articles online; this means that Facebook will have to pay its fair share for that content.
Facebook News Continues to Grow
Facebook has become more than just a social network. Not only is it a place to check up on friends and family, but it's also a source for breaking news, online shopping, and even gaming. The plan to bring Facebook News across the globe just shows how influential this tech giant is becoming.