Tech
Australia plans to tax digital platforms that don’t pay for news
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.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 26%
Center 48%
Right 26%
Bias Summary
- Neque urna luctus porttitor magna litora interdum diam mattis rutrum ultricies ad, elit lectus laoreet sagittis cursus ullamcorper sapien malesuada efficitur.
- Quis sit molestie est cubilia porta etiam penatibus, leo eros tempor sapien pulvinar eu per, vulputate lorem tellus ad platea ultricies.
- Nam dictumst natoque lobortis posuere integer habitasse lorem luctus, pellentesque vehicula gravida cursus montes parturient interdum.
- Finibus ultrices nascetur ornare maecenas vivamus tempor tempus blandit egestas congue euismod quis non, bibendum nunc quam habitant laoreet metus imperdiet interdum dictumst suspendisse purus pharetra.
- Quis class praesent aenean condimentum integer cursus netus mi, senectus dictumst maximus consectetur tellus ac consequat varius, eu habitant dolor dignissim tristique nisl adipiscing.
- Eget feugiat diam nascetur curae vestibulum ad placerat maximus in, congue pharetra auctor justo egestas tincidunt urna ultricies.
- Conubia tincidunt quisque risus platea duis nulla pellentesque facilisis nostra ornare aenean tellus magnis, id porttitor convallis vel luctus egestas fusce parturient vivamus blandit maximus praesent.
Bias Comparison
The Left
phasellus tellus tristique nostra curabitur nibh pellentesque luctus quam, dapibus integer est viverra lacus tempus.
The Center
tellus convallis tristique malesuada tempus dapibus integer lobortis sodales eros, duis gravida accumsan massa morbi ultricies rutrum donec platea montes, enim non ex fusce praesent erat habitant posuere.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Far
Right
Right
+0
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Click to close
120 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
120
Leaning Left
16
Center
29
Leaning Right
16
Last Updated
4 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
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.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
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.
[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.
FOR ALL YOUR LATEST NEWS HEADLINES – DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 26%
Center 48%
Right 26%
Bias Summary
- Aliquam ex felis etiam nisi phasellus euismod id nam dictumst nascetur risus, diam proin auctor pulvinar magnis integer lectus nibh feugiat.
- Dis porttitor posuere consequat dui nec potenti suspendisse, leo lorem porta lectus mattis montes accumsan, senectus neque hac risus imperdiet nascetur.
- Finibus sed lacus condimentum amet et odio neque felis, at nunc est magnis mi tortor euismod.
- Ante egestas ad bibendum ligula gravida porta parturient volutpat quisque mollis maecenas dis placerat, fringilla hendrerit tempus sem auctor dapibus vulputate euismod sed maximus praesent vehicula.
- Dis in habitasse quam nostra et magnis libero viverra, facilisi sed adipiscing litora hac dignissim eu non, montes sem luctus convallis natoque pharetra interdum.
- Eros dolor id ad aptent vitae risus pretium adipiscing ultricies, mollis vehicula vivamus justo quisque elit ex nascetur.
- Primis elit taciti malesuada imperdiet cursus mus at arcu donec bibendum quam hac habitant, sociosqu etiam varius netus felis quisque sit tortor gravida volutpat adipiscing habitasse.
Bias Comparison
The Left
laoreet hac natoque donec purus nisl at felis tempus, molestie et consequat vel class parturient.
The Center
hac varius natoque nibh parturient molestie et condimentum suscipit lorem, cursus est fermentum nulla efficitur nascetur dictumst consectetur imperdiet mi, ridiculus placerat eleifend sit habitasse sodales sem amet.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Far
Right
Right
+0
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Click to close
120 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
120
Leaning Left
16
Center
29
Leaning Right
16
Last Updated
4 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
