Passed by the French National Assembly, the Balanant bill aims to address structural flaws in the neighboring rights of press publishers. By imposing unprecedented transparency requirements to platforms, the bill could serve as a test case for the future European review of the 2019 directive. More than six years after the adoption of Directive (EU) 2019/790 introducing a neighboring right for press publishers vis-à-vis platforms, France is attempting to address some of its blind spots. On Thursday, March 26, the Assemblée Nationale adopted the bill sponsored by MP Erwan Balanant, aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of the neighboring right for press publishers. At the heart of the measure: the introduction of financial transparency obligations and requirements for digital platforms to provide usage data. This adjustment was long overdue, as the…
