Tech giants forced to strike deals for news content
Social media companies will have to pay more to use news content on their platforms unless they make deals with media outlets.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday unveiled the news bargaining incentive bill, which would encourage deals between tech giants and media companies.
If content is negotiated between companies, social media platforms will pay the government only 1.5 percent of their revenues; If no agreement is made, this figure will be higher, such as 2.25 percent.
Mr Albanese said Australian journalism needed to be paid appropriately by tech companies.
“Our government is taking the next steps to ensure Australian journalism is sustainable now and into the future by ensuring major digital platforms do not evade their obligations,” he told reporters in Canberra.
“We encourage organizations to sit down with news organizations, make those agreements, and then move forward.”
The draft laws have been published ahead of legislation that will be introduced to parliament in the coming weeks.
Consultations were held with Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, as well as Google and TikTok.
The deals will be offset by 150 percent if deals are made with large media outlets, and 170 percent if deals are made with smaller newsrooms or non-traditional outlets.
“Investment in journalism is critical to a healthy democracy,” Mr Albanese said.
“If this work has been done elsewhere in Australia by the people here at this press conference, then your work must have monetary value.
“This should not be taken by a large multinational corporation and used to make a profit for that organization without properly remunerating the people who produce this creative content.”
An earlier version of the news bargaining code was introduced by the Morrison government in 2021.
But social media companies like Meta abandoned deals with Australian news organizations in 2024.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the agreement should be amended as the media landscape evolves.
“People are increasingly getting their news directly from Facebook, TikTok and Google,” he said.
“We believe it is only fair that major digital platforms contribute to the hard work of journalism that enriches news feeds and increases their revenues.”
The Greens have called on the federal government to tax big tech companies.
“Major tech platforms make huge profits by stealing content from journalists and creators, but they also make billions of dollars by monetizing Australians’ personal data and shifting profits overseas,” the party’s communications spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Billion dollar tech companies are exploiting loopholes and shifting profits overseas, and Australians are rightly asking why they are getting away with it.”
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