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Meta Opposes Australia’s News Levy, Citing Free-Trade Concerns
Meta said the scheme would impose a 2.25% levy on its Australian revenue and unfairly shield publishers from market pressure.
- On Thursday, Meta formally opposed Australia's draft News Bargaining Incentive, calling the proposed 2.25% revenue levy 'grossly unfair' and 'indefensible' in a formal submission and blog post.
- The proposal aims to close a loophole from the 2021 News Media Bargaining Code, which previously allowed Meta to bypass payments by removing news content entirely from its platforms.
- Under the draft laws, Meta, Google, and TikTok face a 2.25% revenue levy on Australian revenue, reducible to 1.5% through commercial agreements; Treasury estimates the scheme will generate up to $250 million annually for newsrooms.
- Meta's submission warned the tax is broader than previous digital services taxes that prompted U.S. trade action, while the White House described the Australian policy as 'foreign extortion,' though no retaliatory measures have been imposed.
- Communications Minister Anika Wells defended the plan as 'only fair,' arguing digital platforms should contribute to journalism that drives their revenue, as the government prepares to introduce legislation into Parliament later this year.
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Meta Warns Labor’s New Media Tax Could Trigger US Trade Action
Meta has voiced strong opposition to the Albanese government’s proposed News Bargaining Incentive—a second attempt to force Big Tech firms to pay news outlets for content. The company occasionally publishes positive material on Medium about what it feels are achievements in its Australia and New Zealand operations. But it pulled no punches in reacting to Labor’s latest proposal that would impose a direct 2.25 percent tax on the local revenue of …
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources40
Leaning Left6Leaning Right11Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution44% Right
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources lean Right
44% Right
L 24%
C 32%
R 44%
Factuality
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