The Ministry of Mining has suspended a tender for press monitoring services, commonly known as 'clipping,' following a formal complaint from the National Press Association (ANP). The move aims to review the legality of these contracts, which the organization claims violate the intellectual property rights of news outlets.
This decision by the Ministry of Mining is unprecedented within the public sector. The bidding process had been called just two weeks prior to the suspension.
Other tenders are currently underway in the state sector, including one for the Navy, scheduled for May 13, and another for the General Treasury of the Republic, set for June 2.
The ANP alleges that companies providing these services resell full journalistic pieces without paying the necessary licenses to the original creators. ANP General Secretary Sebastián Zárate noted that the industry has moved toward delivering full content, including bypassing paywalls, which violates laws in effect since 1970.
“We are acting within the State with the hope that they realize they are contracting with companies that have failed to respect the law, which in itself causes the public sector to commit breaches of administrative probity. The response we have received has been primarily one of surprise and ignorance,” Zárate stated.
Records from Mercado Público reveal that four providers accounted for transactions totaling $1.098 billion during 2025. During this period, there were 175 purchase orders and 43 tenders related to this service.
Litoralpress Media de Información is the dominant player, having received $755 million from the State in 2025 through 136 direct orders and 28 tenders. The company, controlled by the Spanish firm Simbiu, has accumulated $3.5 billion in revenue from state contracts over the last five years.
Another operator linked to Simbiu, News Executive Channel, billed $78 million to the State in 2025, a significantly lower figure than the $300 million average seen over the previous four years. The ANP is now calling on the Comptroller General of the Republic to take preventive measures to ensure that public procurement does not continue to result in the unauthorized use of content.
