- Australia to impose new revenue-sharing tax on Meta and Microsoft
- Measures aim to support journalism amid tensions with tech giants
- Policy set to take effect from January 2025, amidst industry debate
Australia is pushing ahead with plans to impose a new tax on global tech giants, compelling them to fund domestic journalism. The federal government’s initiative targets large social media and search platforms generating more than AUD 250 million a year in Australian revenue, including Meta, Google and Microsoft. The goal is to ensure a fairer revenue split with news organisations and strengthen democracy by supporting public interest journalism.
According to a Treasury discussion paper reported by the Brisbane Times, the government intends to calculate the charge as a share of each company’s local income. Meta, which earned an estimated AUD 5 billion in Australia in 2022, could face a penalty of around AUD 112.5 million unless it reaches commercial agreements with news publishers. Every dollar invested in media partnerships would reduce the levy by AUD 1.50, making direct payments to news outlets a financially preferable option.
The scheme revives and expands the 2021 News Media Bargaining Code, which required companies such as Meta and Google to negotiate deals or face regulatory sanctions. Meta’s decision earlier this year not to renew its agreements with Australian publishers has already had a sharp impact, contributing to hundreds of job losses and revenue declines across the news sector. Critics argue the government has moved too slowly, allowing damage to accumulate while tech companies withdrew support.
Meta has been vocal in its opposition, insisting that most users do not visit its platforms for news and warning that the levy risks undermining existing commercial partnerships. In 2024 it removed news features from Facebook in Australia, as well as in France, Germany and the UK, sparking criticism from governments and media groups. The company’s regional policy chief told a parliamentary inquiry it was “considering all options”, including blocking news content altogether to avoid new licensing costs.
The government has said it wants the new model to spread funding more equitably across the sector, including independent, regional and community publishers. Officials are exploring a “digital platform levy” as part of the framework, with final details due before the scheme’s introduction on 1 January 2025.
The move places Australia once again at the forefront of efforts to force digital platforms to contribute financially to journalism, an approach now being studiedother markets. Whether the levy succeeds will depend on how the tech giants respond and whether it can genuinely bolster local newsrooms rather than entrench the biggest players.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/meta-microsoft-respond-to-government-s-rebooted-news-tax-20251113-p5nf4w.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://apnews.com/article/db252d95d6ee641dc3ccf1df4af4e573 – Australia has announced plans to impose taxes on large digital platforms like Meta, Alphabet (Google), and ByteDance (TikTok) from January 1, 2025, unless they agree to share revenue with Australian news media organisations. The tax targets companies earning over AUD 250 million annually in Australia and aims to incentivise these platforms to make revenue-sharing agreements with local news outlets. This move follows Meta’s decision not to renew its deals with Australian news publishers and builds on the 2021 News Media Bargaining Code, which required tech giants to negotiate revenue-sharing deals or face significant fines. The government emphasises that the primary goal is to support Australian democracy and public interest journalism by ensuring fair distribution of revenue to news publishers. Tech companies have expressed concerns about the new tax, highlighting potential impacts on existing commercial deals.
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-13/social-media-tax-delay-hundreds-of-news-jobs-cut-meta-refusal/104719760 – News companies have shed hundreds of jobs since Meta refused to continue paying them, and the opposition says yesterday’s announcement of a new tax on the social giants could have been made months ago — before those jobs were lost. On Thursday, the federal government said it would introduce a tax on social media companies that could be used to fund Australian news media — with an “offset” for the social giants to pay less or zero if they negotiate deals directly with news companies instead.
- https://www.reuters.com/technology/australia-introduce-rules-forcing-tech-companies-pay-news-outlets-2024-12-12/ – Australia plans to implement new rules requiring tech companies to pay for news content on their platforms or face significant fines. This initiative targets major social media and search engine platforms with Australian revenues over $250 million, such as Google and Meta (Facebook). Platform agreements with news businesses can offset the charges. Tech companies have criticised the plan, arguing it misunderstands their platforms’ functions. Australia previously passed similar compensation laws in 2021, prompting Meta to briefly block news article sharing before reaching deals with local media firms, which it plans to terminate by 2024. The new rules aim to benefit Australian news organisations while addressing the operations of global tech giants.
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-25/tech-tax-to-replace-news-media-bargaining-code-meta-social-media/104510956 – A “digital platform levy” is among a range of options being considered by the government to get Meta to pay for news content. A committee also recommended devising a plan to divide any revenue between a wide range of media organisations, including small, independent, and regional outlets. It’s not yet policy, but the government has indicated it’s considering the proposal.
- https://www.reuters.com/technology/meta-says-will-no-longer-pay-traditional-news-content-australia-france-germany-2024-03-01/ – Meta Platforms announced it will stop compensating Australian news publishers for content appearing on Facebook, provoking conflict with Australian government over its 2021 law requiring internet giants to forge licensing deals with news publishers. Meta will also remove a news tab feature in Australia and the United States, having already done so in the UK, France, and Germany. The Australian government criticises this move, arguing it undermines local journalism and is unfair exploitation of others’ investments. The government is seeking advice from relevant authorities on proceeding steps, as the legislation could enforce penalties on Meta. Despite this, Meta continues to allow news content posts without obligation to pay publishers, with similar actions seen in Canada following comparable laws. Australian media lambasted the decision, emphasising the substantial market impact and value created for Meta. Google, another major player, is in renewal negotiations for its media deals set to expire in 2026. Countries like Indonesia are also considering legal measures to protect their local news industries from large tech firms’ dominance in online advertising markets.
- https://www.reuters.com/technology/meta-says-it-may-block-news-facebook-australia-2024-06-28/ – Meta has indicated it may block news content on Facebook in Australia if the government requires it to pay licensing fees, as discussed in a parliamentary hearing. Meta’s regional policy director Mia Garlick stated that all options are being considered to avoid paying fees. This follows a 2021 law that allows the Australian government to set fees for U.S. tech companies linking news content. Meta had previously made deals with Australian media but does not plan to renew these beyond 2024. The assistant treasurer is yet to decide on enforcing the law. Australian broadcasters are already cutting jobs due to anticipated revenue loss from expired deals with Meta. Garlick emphasised Meta’s compliance with laws and defended its processes for addressing misinformation and scams.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative presents recent developments regarding Australia’s plans to impose a new tax on major tech companies like Meta and Microsoft to support Australian journalism. Similar initiatives have been reported in the past, such as the News Media Bargaining Code introduced in 2021. However, the current proposal introduces new elements, including penalties for non-compliance and a focus on companies with over AUD 250 million in annual Australian revenue. The earliest known publication date of substantially similar content is December 12, 2024. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-12/government-forces-facebook-google-to-pay-for-australian-news/104717608?utm_source=openai)) The narrative appears to be original, with no evidence of recycled content. The inclusion of updated data and specific figures suggests a high level of freshness. However, the presence of earlier versions with different figures or quotes indicates potential discrepancies. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-25/tech-tax-to-replace-news-media-bargaining-code-meta-social-media/104510956?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative includes direct quotes from government officials and Meta’s regional policy director. A search for the earliest known usage of these quotes reveals that they have been used in earlier material, indicating potential reuse. The wording of the quotes varies slightly in different sources, suggesting some paraphrasing. No online matches were found for other quotes, raising the score but flagging them as potentially original or exclusive content.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from the Brisbane Times, a reputable Australian news outlet. However, the presence of similar content in other reputable sources, such as ABC News, indicates that the information is not exclusive to this outlet. The involvement of government officials and Meta’s regional policy director adds credibility, but the lack of direct quotes from these individuals in the narrative raises some concerns.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims made in the narrative are plausible and align with recent developments in Australian media policy. The government’s proposal to impose a tax on tech companies to support journalism has been reported by multiple reputable sources. The narrative lacks specific factual anchors, such as names, institutions, and dates, which reduces the score and flags it as potentially synthetic. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic, and the structure is focused on the main claim without excessive or off-topic detail.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative presents recent developments regarding Australia’s plans to impose a new tax on major tech companies to support Australian journalism. While the information is plausible and aligns with recent reports, the presence of similar content in other reputable sources and the lack of direct quotes from key individuals raise some concerns about the originality and exclusivity of the content. The lack of specific factual anchors and the potential reuse of quotes further reduce the confidence in the narrative’s authenticity.
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