Australia Moves to Make Tech Firms Pay for News

Australia has introduced legislation that would impose a levy on technology companies such as Meta, Google and TikTok unless they reach agreements with local media outlets to pay for news content.

Traditional media organizations are under growing pressure worldwide as audiences increasingly consume news through social media platforms. The Australian government argues that tech firms should compensate publishers for content that attracts users and generates traffic on their services.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said companies would be given the opportunity to strike voluntary deals with media organizations. Those that refuse could face a mandatory charge of 2.25% of their Australian revenue.

The proposed changes are designed to close a loophole in earlier legislation that allowed platforms to avoid payments by removing news content altogether.

Meta has described the proposal as a digital tax and argues that publishers share content voluntarily. Google said it already works with more than 90 Australian publishers, but questioned the need for additional measures.

The government, however, maintains that large platforms should contribute to funding the journalism that underpins their business models. Public consultations will run until May, after which the proposal is expected to be submitted to parliament.

(techxplore, bak)