Australia forces Big Tech firms to pay for news or face a 2.25% tax

Australia mandates Big Tech pay for news content or face a 2.25% tax on local revenue, a global first. | Contesto: cronaca

Punti chiave

• Australia forces Big Tech firms to pay for news or face a 2.25% tax

Contesto

Australia is giving Big Tech a simple choice: pay journalists or pay the government. Under a landmark law announced Thursday, tech giants such as Google and Meta must either negotiate fair compensation with Australian news publishers for using their content or face a 2.25% tax on their local revenue. The move, the first of its kind globally, aims to level the playing field between digital platforms and struggling media outlets, ensuring that journalism remains financially viable in the digital age. The legislation, formally known as the News Media Bargaining Code, has been in development for years but gained urgency as advertising revenue shifted online, decimating traditional newsrooms. Australia’s Treasury estimates the tax could generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually, which would be funneled into a fund to support public-interest journalism. However, the government has made clear it prefers voluntary deals over taxation, with the tax serving as a stick to compel negotiations. Google and Meta have previously resisted such mandates, threatening to withdraw services from Australia during earlier phases of the code’s development. In 2021, Google struck last-minute deals with major publishers like News Corp and Nine Entertainment, while Meta signed agreements with smaller outlets. Yet those deals are set to expire, and Meta has signaled it may not renew them, prompting the government to harden its stance. The 2.25% tax applies to revenue from search and social media services in Australia, a figure designed to be high enough to encourage compliance but not punitive enough to spark a trade war. The implications extend far beyond Australia. Other nations, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, are closely watching Canberra’s experiment. Canada passed similar legislation in 2023, though it has faced delays in implementation due to pushback from tech firms. The Australian model, with its explicit tax alternative, offers a template that could be replicated globally, potentially reshaping how digital platforms interact with news publishers worldwide. Critics, however, warn of unintended consequences. Some small publishers fear that...

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Categoria: cronaca