Platforms Pay Publishers: Australia's News Content Law
Australia's News Media Bargaining Code forces tech giants (Google, Meta) to pay news outlets for content, aiming to support journalism's future.
Topics: media, technology, politics
Example
In February 2021, Australia passed the News Media Bargaining Code, which can force large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to negotiate payment with news publishers for using their content. A government review in December 2022 found the platforms had signed more than 30 deals with publishers, worth an estimated more than A$200 million a year, without the code ever being formally applied to either company. In March 2024, Meta said it would not renew its Australian news deals, and in December 2024 the government announced a News Bargaining Incentive to charge platforms that do not make deals.
Key facts
- A December 2022 government review found more than 30 deals between Google, Meta and news businesses, worth over A$200 million a year.
- In December 2024 the Australian government announced a News Bargaining Incentive to charge large platforms that do not make deals with publishers.
Limitations
- Deal values are confidential estimates, and most of the money went to large publishers; the scheme's future depends on the new incentive, which was still being set up when this record was checked.
Evaluations
media evaluation
Support
The review found the code produced more than 30 deals worth over A$200 million a year, money that let some newsrooms hire journalists.
Counterargument
Meta's 2024 decision not to renew shows platforms can walk away from news altogether rather than pay, leaving publishers worse off.
Rebuttal
The government's answer, a charge on platforms that refuse deals, aims to remove that escape route, so the model is being adjusted rather than abandoned.
Additional support
Small and regional outlets gained less than big publishers, which argues for designing such schemes so that local journalism benefits too.
technology evaluation
Support
The case shows that platforms that profit from news links can be pushed to share revenue, a new kind of obligation on technology firms.
Counterargument
Meta briefly blocked news on Facebook in Australia in February 2021 in protest, cutting off some emergency information pages, which shows the risks of confronting platforms.
Rebuttal
The block was reversed within days after the law was amended, suggesting that governments and platforms can reach a workable compromise.
Additional support
Platforms argue that they send publishers free traffic; the code's deals show they nonetheless found news valuable enough to pay for.
politics evaluation
Support
Australia showed that a mid-sized country can change the behaviour of global firms through law, and Canada copied the idea in its 2023 Online News Act.
Counterargument
The code worked mainly as a threat; it was never formally applied, so its legal design was not tested in practice.
Rebuttal
A credible threat that produces deals is still effective policy; it avoids long court battles while shifting bargaining power.
Additional support
The 2024 incentive plan shows policymakers learning from the first scheme's weakness when Meta chose not to renew.
Sources
- Australian Treasury ministers (2022-12-02): Release of News Media Bargaining Code Review
- The Canberra Times (AAP) (2024-03-01): Meta stops paying for news in Australia
- Australian Treasury ministers (2024-12-12): News Bargaining Incentive fact sheet