Australia’s centre-left government is set to introduce tougher regulations on major internet platforms, pushing global tech giants like Meta and Google to continue compensating local media companies for news content featured on their platforms, according to reports.
Under the proposed rules, if a digital platform declines to negotiate fair payment terms or opts to remove news content entirely—as Meta, the owner of Facebook, did recently in Canada—the company would still be compelled to pay Australian publishers.
Neither Communications Minister Michelle Rowland’s office nor the tech firms mentioned responded immediately to requests for comment on the proposed changes, reports said.
This follows Australia’s landmark 2021 media bargaining code, which compelled companies like Alphabet’s Google and Meta to negotiate compensation deals with media outlets for directing traffic—and thus advertising revenue—to their services.
Although Meta secured agreements with several prominent Australian media organizations, including News Corp and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the company has signalled no intention to renew these deals beyond 2024.
Meta has also begun winding back its focus on promoting news and political content, reducing such material to a small fraction of user feeds and discontinuing its dedicated news tab in Australia.
Read more: Australian Parliament grills top Meta executives over digital news policy