On 1 January 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 entered into force. The Act amends the 1998 Competition Act and the 2002 Enterprise Act by, inter alia, introducing a new foreign state intervention (FSI) regime for newspapers and periodical news magazines. The FSI regime aims at preventing foreign powers, defined in the Act, from gaining control, ownership or influence over newspapers or periodical news magazines in the United Kingdom. With this aim, the Secretary of State must issue a "foreign state intervention notice" to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), if there are reasonable grounds to believe that a merger involving a United Kingdom newspaper has resulted or would result in such foreign state ownership, control, or influence. Once the CMA investigation is concluded, the Secretary of State can decide to block or reverse foreign state influence in newspaper mergers. These provisions apply retroactively from 13 March 2024.
"130 Mergers involving newspaper enterprises and foreign powers
(1) Schedule 7 makes provision for the purposes of preventing foreign powers from gaining control or influence over newspaper enterprises.
(2) The amendments made by that Schedule—
(a) apply in relation to enterprises ceasing to be distinct on or after the effective date, but not in relation to enterprises ceasing to be distinct before the effective date;
(b) apply in relation to arrangements in progress or in contemplation on or after the effective date which, if carried into effect, would result in the creation of a foreign state newspaper merger situation by virtue of enterprises ceasing to be distinct on or after the effective date.
(3) In subsection (2), "the effective date" means 13 March 2024. [...]" (Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, Government of the United Kingdom, 24 May 2024, Section 130)
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"70A Intervention by the Secretary of State
(1)The Secretary of State must give the CMA a notice (a "foreign state intervention notice") if the Secretary of State has reasonable grounds for suspecting that it is or may be the case that—
(a) a foreign state newspaper merger situation has been created, or
(b) arrangements are in progress or in contemplation which, if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a foreign state newspaper merger situation.
(2) A foreign state intervention notice must describe the foreign state newspaper merger situation to which it relates.
[...]
70C Intervention to prevent foreign control of a newspaper enterprise
(1) Subsection (2) applies where the Secretary of State has received a report under section 70B stating that the CMA believes that—
(a) a foreign state newspaper merger situation has been created, or
(b) arrangements are in progress or in contemplation which, if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a foreign state newspaper merger situation.
(2) The Secretary of State must make an order containing such provision as the Secretary of State considers reasonable and practicable for the purposes of reversing or preventing the creation of the foreign state newspaper merger situation identified in the report.
(3) An order under subsection (2) may contain—
(a) anything permitted by Schedule 8 (provision that may be contained in certain enforcement orders), and
(b) such supplementary, consequential or incidental provision as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.
[...]
70E Meaning of "foreign power"
(1) In this Chapter, "foreign power" means—
(a) the sovereign or other head of a foreign state in their public or private capacity,
(b) a foreign government or part of a foreign government,
(c) the head or senior members of a foreign government in their private capacity,
(d) an agency or authority of a foreign government, or of part of a foreign government,
(e) the head or senior members of an agency or authority of a foreign government, or of part of a foreign government, in their private capacity,
(f) an authority responsible for administering the affairs of an area within a foreign country or territory, or persons exercising the functions of such an authority,
(g) a political party which is a governing political party of a foreign government, or
(h) the officers of a political party, which is a governing political party of a foreign government, in their private capacity. [...]
(3)In this section—
"foreign country or territory" means a country or territory outside the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the British Overseas Territories;
"foreign government" means the government of a foreign country or territory;
[...]
70F Other interpretation
(1) For the purposes of this Chapter, section 44(10) is to be read as if the definition of "newspaper" included a news publication circulating wholly or mainly in the United Kingdom or in a part of the United Kingdom on any periodic basis.
[...]
Schedule 6B 
Control or influence of a person by a foreign power
[...]
1(1) A foreign power is able to control or influence the policy of a person for the purposes of section 70A if one or more of the following conditions is met.
(2) Condition 1 is that the foreign power holds, directly or indirectly, any of the shares in the person.
(3)Condition 2 is that the foreign power holds, directly or indirectly, any of the voting rights in the person.
(4)Condition 3 is that the foreign power holds the right, directly or indirectly, to appoint or remove an officer of the person.
(5)Condition 4 is that the foreign power has the right or ability to direct, control or influence to any extent, the person's policy or activities (in whole or in part, and whether directly or indirectly), despite not meeting condition 1, 2 or 3.
(6)Condition 5 is that—
(a)the trustees of a trust, or the members of a partnership, unincorporated association or other entity, that is not a legal person under the law by which it is governed, would, if they were a foreign power, meet one or more of conditions 1 to 4 (in their capacity as such) in relation to the person, and
(b)the foreign power has the right or ability to direct, control or influence to any extent the activities of that trust or entity (in whole or in part, and whether directly or indirectly), or has any other interest in, or right over or in relation to, the trust or entity, or any of the trustees of the trust or the members of the entity, whether directly or indirectly. [...]" (Enterprise Act 2002, last amended 24 May 2024)
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, Government of the United Kingdom, 24 May 2024
Enterprise Act 2002, last amended 24 May 2024
[<a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/13/pdfs/ukpga_20240013_en.pdf">Act</a>],[<a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/40/contents">Act</a>],[<a href="https://www.linklaters.com/en/insights/blogs/foreigninvestmentlinks/2024/june/uk-prohibits-foreign-state-ownership-of-uk-newspapers?utm_source=knowledge&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=whatsnew&expiry=2024-06-19T15%3a44%3a29&userid=da22a2540cbd445b9240744d48757758&token=58b4faba95b8f0822e40f6858133402">Other</a>]