Facebook has launched a news feature in the UK which will pay publishers for stories “not already on its platform,” across hundreds of national, local, and lifestyle outlets.

The social media platform said that the move would gives publishers more advertising and subscription opportunities, and that the it the beginning of a series of international investments in news.

The BigTech company also announced a number of new partners for the news feature, including Channel 4 News, Daily Mail Group, DC Thomson, Financial Times, Sky News and Telegraph Media Group.

These media outlets will join a host of companies already announced, including The Economist, The Guardian, The Independent, STV and hundreds of local news sites from Archant, Iliffe, JPI Media, Midlands News Association and Reach as well as lifestyle outlets such as GQ, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Vogue and many more.

Facebook said it will use personalisation based on the news a user reads, shares, and follows so they can “find new interests and topics from your favourite news outlets or publications you haven’t previously followed, creating a fresh and interesting experience every time.”

The site will also include news sections for business, entertainment, health, science, tech, and sport.

Users will have access to controls which mean they can choose what they see and hide what they don’t want to see.

The launch comes less than a week after Google threatened to remove its service from Australia over proposed regulation that would force Facebook and Google to pay for content from media companies.

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