Meta has signed new multiyear licensing deals with several news publishers, including CNN, Fox News, and USA Today. The agreements will allow Meta AI to pull real-time information from partner outlets whenever users ask news or current events questions. This update follows the company’s deal last year with Reuters, which also focused on supplying news data for AI responses.

How Meta AI will use partner content

In a blog post, Meta said the goal is to offer real-time content through its chatbot across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. The company said users will receive answers that cite the content source and include links that send them directly to the publisher’s website.

Publishers who are part of the deal

Meta said the initial publisher group includes CNN, Fox News, Fox Sports, Le Monde Group, USA Today, the USA Today Network, The Daily Caller, The Washington Examiner, and the People Inc. portfolio. Meta noted that more partnerships are expected. However, these deals do not include publicly disclosed payment terms.

Publisher concerns and how AI companies are responding

This move comes at a moment when publishers are raising concerns about how AI models use their articles. Penske Media sued Google in October, arguing that AI Overviews relied on its content without permission. The New York Times has sued both OpenAI and, more recently, Perplexity over similar claims. These cases have increased pressure on AI companies to sign licensing agreements instead of pulling news from the open web.

Some AI companies are already adjusting. Perplexity introduced a $42.5 million revenue-sharing program so publishers can earn when their content attracts engagement through its AI tools. OpenAI has also signed licensing deals with publishers like Condé Nast, Axel Springer, and the Financial Times. Meta now joins this group by expanding beyond the Reuters agreement it already had in place.

‍