Australia unveiled a bill on Tuesday that would tax tech giants Meta, Google and TikTok unless they voluntarily enter into deals to pay local media outlets for their news.
Traditional media companies around the world are fighting for survival as readers increasingly seek out their news on social media.
Australia wants big tech companies to pay local publishers for sharing articles that drive traffic to their platforms.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said tech giants Meta, Google and TikTok would have the opportunity to strike content deals with local news publishers.
If they refused, they would face a compulsory levy amounting to 2.25% of their Australian income, he said.
“Large digital platforms cannot evade their obligations under the news media bargaining code,” Albanese told reporters.
“At this point, the three organizations are Meta, Google and TikTok.”
The three companies were recognized based on their Australian revenue and large number of domestic users.
Meta, Google and TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The bills were designed to prevent tech giants from simply removing information from their platforms – something Meta and Google have done in the past.
“What we encourage is that they sit down with the news organizations and make these deals,” Albanese said.
When Canberra proposed similar laws in 2024, Facebook parent company Meta announced that Australian users would no longer be able to access the news tab.
Meta previously announced that it would not renew its content agreements with news publishers in the United States, Britain, France and Germany.
“It’s only fair.”
Google also threatened to restrict its search engine in Australia if it was forced to compensate media outlets.
Journalism had to have “monetary value,” Albanese said.
“This should not be able to be taken by a large multinational and used to generate profits without compensation.”
Supporters of the laws say social media companies lure users with stories and take away online advertising dollars that would otherwise go to struggling newsrooms.
Australia’s University of Canberra found that more than half the country uses social media as a news source.
“People are increasingly getting their news directly from Facebook, TikTok and Google,” said Communications Minister Anika Wells.
“We think it’s only right that big digital platforms contribute to the hard work that enriches their feeds and drives their revenue.”
The bills were presented on Tuesday to a public consultation which will close in May.
They would then be presented to Parliament later this year.
