Tech giant Meta has attacked Australia’s “grossly unfair” bid to make social media companies pay for news, saying it is vehemently opposed to the draft laws.
Australia wants big tech companies to compensate local publishers for sharing articles that drive traffic on their platforms.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said in a statement: “Our position is clear: this law is poorly designed, grossly unfair, and will fail to deliver a diverse and sustainable news industry.
“We are vehemently opposed to this legislation. It is discriminatory, economically incoherent, and will not deliver the sustainable news sector that Australian journalists and audiences deserve.”
Social media companies including Meta, Google and TikTok will first be given a chance to strike content deals with local news publishers. If they refuse, they face a compulsory levy that will amount to 2.25% of their Australian revenue.
When Canberra mooted similar laws in 2024, Meta announced that Australian users would no longer be able to access the “news” tab.
Supporters of such laws argue that social media companies attract users with news stories and hoover up online advertising revenue that would otherwise go to struggling newsrooms.
Australia’s University of Canberra has found that more than half the country uses social media as a source of news.
The draft laws will be introduced into Parliament later this year.
- AFP