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Australia to take world-first action to pass new media law requiring contents fee payment
Finally, the law is passed!! After being overwhelmed by lots of criticisms throughout the period of writing a proposed bill, in conclusion, the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code (the “Media Code”) passed Parliament, requiring Google and Facebook to pay local media outlets for news content.
On February 25, 2021, the bill of this Media Code was amended and approved by Australia’s House of Representatives, making Australia the first country in the world where a government-appointed arbitrator can decide on the price that the tech giants must pay local media outlets and publishers to link their content on news feeds, provided a commercial deal cannot be reached independently
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said in a joint statement on Thursday that “The Media Code will ensure that news media businesses are fairly remunerated for the content they generate, helping to sustain public interest journalism, and Facebook will also remove its users’ access to news content in Australia in the next few days.”
However, Australia will not force Google and Facebook to enter into an arbitration process, provided that these two big giants could argue they already helped make a significant contribution to the Australian news industry. Both Google and Facebook have been given extended mediation periods in reaching commercial arrangements with Australian news media businesses prior to the government’s intervention. The Code will be reviewed within one year of its commencement, but the exact date of its enforcement is not yet decided. Please follow the progress of this news at www.thac.or.th
Sources: https://www.thaipost.net/main/detail/94271
https://www.dailynews.co.th/foreign/827510
