Facebook News to launch in Germany in May

BERLIN — Facebook will roll out its news platform in Germany from May, providing articles from around 100 existing German media outlets, the US-based tech giant said on Monday. 

"Facebook News, a place dedicated to journalistic content will launch in German in May 2021," the social media giant said in a statement, adding that it would offer content from a "strong and diverse range" of German titles.

The platform, launched in the US in 2019 and in the UK in January, delivers users of the world's leading social network curated news content bought from traditional publishers.

Facebook will pay publishers for their content, with the list of German partners ranging from prestigious national weeklies such as Die Zeit and Der Spiegel to regional dailies like the Rheinische Post.

In total, Facebook claims the German platform will host "more than 100 media brands", including major groups such as Funke and Conde Nast.

Yet, it will not include German media giant Axel Springer, which owns top national titles such as Die Welt and the country's most widely read Bild daily. 

"We consider it problematic that some platforms are on the one hand trying to become news media themselves, while at the same time fobbing off publishers with disproportionately low payments," an Axel Springer spokesman told AFP. 

"We advocate for a European copyright which allows all media companies to receive reasonable remuneration."

Facebook claims its platform will help German media companies "win new readers, monetise content and expand business model in a sustainable and long term way".