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Meta Opposes Australia’s News Levy, Citing Free-Trade Concerns
Meta says the levy is discriminatory and would tax platforms even if they remove news, while the government says it could raise up to AU$250 million a year.
- On Thursday, Meta published a formal submission opposing Australia's proposed 2.25% news levy, labeling the policy "grossly unfair" and arguing it breaches the Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled the News Bargaining Incentive in April to replace the 2021 code, targeting Meta, Google, and TikTok with a 2.25% revenue levy if they refuse commercial deals.
- Meta claims the levy "plainly violates" the Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement by failing to grant American companies treatment "no less favourable" than local peers, according to its blog post.
- Communications Minister Anika Wells defended the plan as "only fair," though Meta removed news from its Australian platforms in 2024 to avoid payment, raising concerns about potential recurrence.
- The government estimates the scheme will generate up to $250 million annually for local media, with draft legislation set for parliament later this year to address journalism's sustainability.
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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 Sources46
Leaning Left7Leaning Right11Center13Last UpdatedBias Distribution42% Center
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources are Center
42% Center
L 23%
C 42%
R 35%
Factuality
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