Sunita Somvanshi
Australia has given the government power to charge large technology platforms if they fail to pay local news publishers for their content. The change amends the News Media Bargaining Code, a 2021 law that was meant to force Google and Meta to negotiate commercial deals with Australian media outlets.
The original code relied on the platforms agreeing to payments voluntarily, backed by a threat that the government could designate them and set terms. In practice, Meta let several of its deals lapse, and publishers said the threat was rarely enforced. The new law adds a backstop: if a platform does not reach sufficient commercial agreements with Australian news businesses, the government can impose a levy or penalty so that publishers are still compensated.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the change closes a gap that left Australian journalism underpaid as platforms shifted strategy. Google has kept most of its agreements, while Meta has been the harder counterpart. Industry groups representing regional and small publishers welcomed the move, saying it protects outlets that depend on referral traffic from the platforms.
The change mirrors efforts elsewhere. Canada passed the Online News Act in 2023, which led Meta to block news links in Canada rather than pay. The European Union’s Copyright Directive includes a neighbouring-rights provision that some publishers have used to license content. Australia’s approach keeps the bargaining framework but adds a financial consequence for non-compliance.
For readers, the issue is practical. Local newsrooms rely on the platforms to distribute their reporting, but the platforms capture most of the advertising revenue generated around that content. The law is an attempt to redirect some of that value back to the outlets producing the journalism. Where platforms and publishers disagree, the resolution can be costly: a Google outage earlier this year showed how much Australian users depend on these services, and how quickly disputes can affect access, while a major tech-platform privacy settlement showed regulators are already scrutinising how the largest companies operate.
Whether the levy works will depend on how it is set and enforced. Publishers want predictable payments; platforms warn that forced fees could change what they show Australians. The government has signalled it will consult on the design before the mechanism takes effect.
