The proposed changes raise serious concerns about publishers’ ability to control how their journalism is accessed, used and commercialised, including for artificial intelligence purposes.

NPA General Manager Brook Cameron said New Zealand publishers support innovation and the responsible development of AI, but the use of news content must be based on permission, transparency and fair commercial agreements.

“Professional journalism is not free raw material for AI systems.

New Zealand publishers are willing partners in innovation, but they are not willing bystanders while others determine how their journalism is collected, used and monetised.

News publishers invest significant time, expertise and resources in producing trusted news and information. They must retain the right to decide how their content is accessed, used and licensed.”

The NPA joins publisher organisations around the world in urging Meta to withdraw the proposed provisions and engage directly with the news industry on a fair framework for the use of journalistic content.

“Publishers should not have to surrender rights over their content simply to reach audiences online.

If Meta wants to use publisher content, it should seek permission, negotiate fair commercial terms and compensate the creators of that content.

The production of trusted New Zealand news requires significant investment. Any business that derives value from that content should obtain permission and negotiate fair commercial terms for its use.”

The Association is particularly concerned about the precedence such terms could set for the wider use of copyright-protected content by large digital platforms.

“The issue is not AI. The issue is consent.

A sustainable AI ecosystem and a sustainable news ecosystem should reinforce one another. Neither should be built at the expense of the other.

The future of AI must be built on permission, transparency and fair compensation. It cannot be built on the assumption that someone else’s content is free for the taking.”

The NPA is calling on Meta to:

• withdraw the proposed crawling and content collection provisions;
• respect publishers’ rights to control access to and use of their content;
• not use publisher content for AI-related purposes without permission; and
• engage with publishers on fair and transparent commercial arrangements.

Brook Cameron said the issue extends well beyond the news media industry.

“This is ultimately about whether creators, publishers and rights holders retain control over how their work is used in the digital economy.

Strong copyright protections and functioning licensing markets are essential to supporting future investment in journalism, content creation and innovation.

Respect for intellectual property should remain a cornerstone of the relationship between technology companies and content creators.”

For media enquiries, please contact:

Brook Cameron
General Manager, News Publishers’ Association
Email: brook.cameron@npa.co.nz