Meta has criticised a proposed Australian law that would require major major social media platforms to pay news publishers for content shared on their platforms, arguing that the measure unfairly targets a small group of foreign-owned firms.
Key Highlights:
- Meta opposed an Australian plan to make tech platforms pay news publishers.
- The proposal could levy 2.25% of revenue if companies don’t strike deals.
- Meta called it unfair and targeted at foreign tech firms.
- Australia says it’s meant to support local journalism.
- The policy is still under debate.
The company, which owns the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, voiced strong opposition as the Australian government advanced plans aimed at ensuring digital platforms contribute financially to the country’s media industry.
Under the proposed framework, major tech firms including Google, TikTok and Meta would be encouraged to enter commercial agreements with Australian news organisations. Companies that fail to reach such deals could be subjected to a levy worth 2.25 per cent of their Australian-generated revenue.
Australian authorities say the policy is designed to strengthen local journalism and address concerns that digital platforms profit from news content without adequately compensating the publishers responsible for producing it.
Reacting to the proposal, Meta described the legislation as flawed and discriminatory.
“Our position remains clear: this proposal is poorly structured, fundamentally unfair and unlikely to create a sustainable future for the news industry,” the company said.
Meta further argued that the measure effectively amounts to a tax directed at a limited number of international technology companies while excluding other businesses offering similar services.
According to the company, imposing such obligations on selected firms creates an uneven competitive environment and does little to address the broader challenges facing journalism.
The proposed legislation is part of Australia’s ongoing effort to ensure technology platforms contribute to the sustainability of the news sector. Lawmakers believe the move will prevent companies from avoiding payment obligations simply by removing news content from their services.
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The issue is not new. A similar dispute emerged when Meta previously restricted access to news content in Australia during disagreements over media compensation rules. The company has also declined to renew some content-sharing agreements with publishers in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
Supporters of the Australian proposal argue that news content helps attract users to digital platforms, generating engagement and advertising revenue that should partly benefit the publishers creating that content.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended the government’s stance, maintaining that journalism has economic value and that technology companies should not benefit from news content without fairly compensating media organisations.
He argued that large multinational digital platforms should not be permitted to generate profits from journalism while contributing little or nothing to the production of that content.
The proposed law is expected to face continued debate as policymakers, publishers and technology companies seek to balance support for independent journalism with concerns about competition, innovation and regulation in the digital economy.
