Australia to Make Google, Facebook Pay for News Content

According to Australia’s treasurer, “the future of the Australian media landscape is at stake with these changes.”

The Australian government said on Friday it plans to give Google and Facebook three months to negotiate with Australian media businesses fair pay for news content.
«Nothing less than the future of the Australian media landscape is at stake with these changes,» he added.
If the U.S.-based platforms could not agree with the Australian media businesses on pricing after three months, arbitrators would be appointed to make a binding decision, the draft said.
Google Australia and New Zealand managing director Mel Silva said the code discounts the significant value Google provided in free clicks on publishers’ content.
«Our hope was that the code would be forward thinking and the process would create incentives for both publishers and digital platforms to negotiate and innovate for a better future, so we are deeply disappointed and concerned the draft code does not achieve this,» Silva said in a statement.

This article was written by Rod McGuirk

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