Australia plans to tax digital platforms that don’t pay for news

Dec 12

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Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

Australia’s government is creating new rules that will force Big Tech companies to pay publishers for news or face fines. It’s set to be the first law of its kind in the world.

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The “News Bargaining Incentive” measure will raise taxes on digital platforms that earn more than $160 million a year if they don’t enter into commercial deals with media organizations. That includes Meta, Google and TikTok.

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The tax amount isn’t clear yet, but the government aims to make sharing revenue with media organizations cheaper.

Officials said the new structure would require tech companies to fund Australian journalism in exchange for the tax offsets, not to raise government revenue.

“Digital platforms receive huge financial benefits from Australia and they have a social and economic responsibility to contribute to Australians’ access to quality journalism,” Australia’s Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said.

Meta responded to the new tax plan. The company said, “the current law is flawed,” and the company has “concerns about charging one industry to subsidize another.”

In 2021, Australia passed a different measure by which tech giants form deals with Australian news companies. However, companies were able to skirt the mandate by removing links to Australian news content from their platforms.

Meta announced earlier this year it would not be renewing its deals. The company argued that tech companies are not responsible for issues with the news industry.

Google also made deals with more than 80 Australian news companies since the 2021 code passed. Google previously committed to renewing those deals.

However, the company told the New York Post in a statement that it is uncertain how to proceed following the new tax announcement.

The new model begins in January and will officially go into law once Parliament returns in February.

Tags: Australia, Google, Meta, news media, Social Media, Taxes, TikTok

[Lauran]

AUSTRALIA’S GOVERNMENT IS CREATING NEW RULES TO FORCE BIG TECH COMPANIES TO PAY PUBLISHERS FOR NEWS – OR FACE FINES.

IT’S SET TO BE THE FIRST LAW OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD.

THE “NEWS BARGAINING INCENTIVE” MEASURE WILL HIT DIGITAL PLATFORMS THAT EARN MORE THAN 160 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR WITH HIGHER TAXES IF THEY DON’T ENTER INTO COMMERCIAL DEALS WITH MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS.

THAT INCLUDES META, GOOGLE AND TIKTOK.

THE AMOUNT OF THE TAX ISN’T CLEAR YET, BUT THE GOVERNMENT IS AIMING TO MAKE SHARING REVENUE WITH MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS THE CHEAPER OPTION.

OFFICIALS SAY THE NEW STRUCTURE IS DESIGNED TO MAKE TECH COMPANIES FUND AUSTRALIAN JOURNALISM IN EXCHANGE FOR THE TAX OFFSETS … NOT TO RAISE GOVERNMENT REVENUE …AUSTRALIA’S ASSISTANT TREASURER STEPHEN JONES SAID…

“DIGITAL PLATFORMS RECEIVE HUGE FINANCIAL BENEFITS FROM AUSTRALIA AND THEY HAVE A SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO AUSTRALIANS’ ACCESS TO QUALITY JOURNALISM.”

META RESPONDED TO THE NEW TAX PLAN SAYING “THE CURRENT LAW IS FLAWED” AND THE COMPANY HAS “CONCERNS ABOUT CHARGING ONE INDUSTRY TO SUBSIDIZE ANOTHER.”

IN 2021, AUSTRALIA PASSED A DIFFERENT MEASURE … THAT HAD TECH GIANTS FORM DEALS WITH AUSTRALIAN NEWS COMPANIES BUT IT ALLOWED THE COMPANIES TO GET AROUND THE MANDATE BY REMOVING LINKS TO AUSTRALIAN NEWS CONTENT FROM ITS PLATFORMS.

META ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS YEAR IT WOULD NOT BE RENEWING ITS DEALS ARGUING THAT TECH COMPANIES ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR NEWS INDUSTRY ISSUES.

GOOGLE ALSO MADE DEALS WITH MORE THAN 80 AUSTRALIAN NEWS COMPANIES SINCE THE 2021 CODE PASSED AND PREVIOUSLY COMMITTED TO RENEWING THOSE DEALS.

BUT, THE COMPANY NOW TELLING THE NEW YORK POST IN A STATEMENT THAT IT’S UNCERTAIN NOW HOW TO GO FORWARD WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE TAX.

THE NEW MODEL BEGINS IN JANUARY AND WILL OFFICIALLY BE PUT INTO LAW ONCE PARLIAMENT RETURNS IN FEBRUARY.

FOR SAN – I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

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