This is one of the consequences of the explosion of digital technology and social networks: advertising revenues from traditional media have collapsed since the 2000s. Revenues monopolized mainly by the digital giants, Gafam. Like Canada and the European Union, the Australian government wants to force Google, Meta and TikTok to pay the media for articles, reports and journalistic videos relayed on the platforms.
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This is not the first time that theAustralia looks into the question. Three years ago, the country passed a law to force tech giants to enter into agreements with the media regarding neighboring rights. The text was intended to ask Gafam – Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft – to pay a contribution for the journalistic content that appears on their platforms.
But Meta – the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram – for example, refuses to renew its agreements. The Australian government now wants to impose a tax on Gafam. It would apply to all search engines and social networks that earn more than US$160 million a year from their operations in Australia. The amount of this tax has not yet been set and these groups could be exempt from this tax if they voluntarily enter into commercial agreements with Australian media firms.
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Growth of digital content
“ It is not to replenish the state coffers », assures Michelle Rowland, the Minister of Communications, it is rather to encourage the tech giants to extend existing agreements or to conclude new ones, she says. “ It is important that digital platforms play their role. They must support access to quality journalism that informs and strengthens our democracy “, she added.
Nearly half of Australians get their news via social networks, which demonstrates, according to her, to what extent Gafam benefits from the production of quality information in Australia. “ The rapid growth of digital platforms in recent years has disrupted Australia’s media landscape and threatens the viability of public interest journalism “, underlined Michelle Rowland.
Meta expressed his annoyance following the Australian government’s announcement. The country “ makes one sector pay to subsidize another », Estimates a spokesperson for the group.
Australia also comes to ban social networks to under 16swith the result of heavy fines for tech giants who do not take sufficient measures to apply the law.
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