Just a few weeks after France’s competition authority ordered Google to negotiate with publishers over payments to reuse snippets of content in its news aggregator and Google Search, Australia has declared that it will start forcing Google and Facebook to pay news companies for content, in a landmark move aimed at shielding traditional media from the tech giants’ digital dominance.
“What we want to see is a level playing field. What we want to see here is a fair go for the companies and for the journalistic content that is prepared,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was quoted as saying in a recent television interview.
He added that the government was imposing the measures after discussions on a voluntary code failed to make headway, with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on advertising revenues hastening the need for action.
“That hasn’t made meaningful progress so now we are taking the decisive decision to create a mandatory code, seeking to be the first country in the world to ensure that these social media giants pay for content,” he remarked.
