Government Warns Digital Platforms to Negotiate With Media

Digital platforms such as Google and Facebook’s parent company Meta have been warned by the Australian government to negotiate more agreements setting fair prices for using news content. Following the introduction of the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code, more than 30 commercial agreements were struck in its first year. But a review by Treasury has found none of the agreements were likely to have been made without the code, and made five recommendations to improve the framework. The government has announced it would implement all recommendations, and that another review of the code will take place in early 2025, when the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will be directed to prepare reports on the digital platforms that should be covered by it....