Australia to tax tech giants unless they strike news payment deals
Traditional media companies around the world are in a battle for survival as readers increasingly consume their news on social media.
Australia moved on April 28, 2026, to tax major digital platforms unless they pay publishers for news content, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese naming Meta, Google and TikTok under the proposed scheme. The draft laws, announced in a move with implications for news markets including Phuket, would give the companies a chance to make content deals or face a levy equal to 2.25% of their Australian revenue.
Levy targets Meta, Google and TikTok
Albanese said the compulsory charge would apply if the companies refused to reach agreements with local news publishers under Australia’s news media bargaining code.
He said the three platforms were selected because of their Australian revenue and their large domestic user bases. “Large digital platforms cannot avoid their obligations under the news media bargaining code,” Albanese told reporters.
The government said the measures were designed to stop platforms from simply removing news to avoid payment obligations.
That risk has precedent. When Canberra proposed similar laws in 2024, Meta said Australian users would lose access to Facebook’s “news” tab.
Government says journalism must carry monetary value
Albanese said journalism needed a monetary value and should not be used by multinational corporations to generate profit without compensation.
Supporters of the policy argue social media companies draw users with news and capture advertising revenue that might otherwise support struggling newsrooms.
Australia’s University of Canberra has found that more than half the country gets news from social media.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said people were increasingly getting news directly from Facebook, TikTok and Google, and that the government believed it was fair for large digital platforms to contribute to the work that fills their feeds and supports their revenue.
The draft laws were released for public consultation on April 28, with submissions due by May, before introduction to parliament later this year.
Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/australia-aims-to-tax-tech-giants-unless-they-pay-news-outlets-100053.php
