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Australia’s Competition Authority has introduced a new bill in which global IT companies like Facebook and Google must pay for news content from local media. Facebook says they want to negotiate with the media to find solutions.
Exceptional in scope
Social media companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter will have three months to negotiate with media organizations. If no agreement is reached, an arbitration scheme will determine how much to pay. Facebook is reacting strongly to the new bill.
“The proposed law is unique in scope and seeks to regulate all areas in which technology companies do business with media companies,” wrote Facebook’s director for Australia and New Zealand, Will Easton, in a blog post on Monday night.
He writes that Facebook supports the goal of the Australian authorities to support struggling newspapers and news organizations, especially local newspapers.
“What is proposed goes against its purpose,” argues the director of Facebook.
It goes on to say that Facebook may have to block the ability of users and media organizations in Australia to share articles and news on Facebook.
“It is not the first option; that’s the last thing we want, ”he writes.
Facebook has proposed a dedicated news initiative in Australia, similar to the one they launched in the US, where Facebook collaborates with news organizations to publish content.
“These proposals have been overlooked. Now we are left with the option of removing the news entirely or accepting a proposal that allows publishers to charge for all the content they want at an unlimited price. Unfortunately, no company can do this.” writes Easton.
Considering mass removal of content
The powerful news organization News Corp., controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his family and owner of the majority of media organizations in Australia, has long been pushing for the bill to pass.
Google is also considering removing the news for Australian users.
“If this bill passes, we will have to massively remove content from around the world to prevent it from being visible to users in Australia,” Google wrote in a blog post.
Facebook believes that the bill, which is still pending consultation, is poorly thought out.
“What is most confusing about the bill is that it will force Facebook to pay news organizations for content that they voluntarily share with us on their own initiative, and at a price that overlooks the economic value this gives them,” he writes. the director of Facebook.
Other countries are also considering similar measures against US tech giants, which have taken over the traditional advertising market, at the expense of traditional media.
Mark Thompson, chief executive of the New York Times, is skeptical of the Australian bill.
– My own opinion is that the more we can work with the big platforms and voluntarily support journalism in every way, the better. When this becomes part of a long and extended policy and regulatory process, it is more likely to lead to all kinds of negative consequences, Thompson told Reuters in connection with Australia’s presentation of the bill this summer.(Terms)Copyright Dagens Næringsliv AS and / or our suppliers. We would like you to share our cases via a link, which leads directly to our pages. Copying or other use of all or part of the content can only be done with written permission or as permitted by law. For more terms, see here.
