The contentious “world-first” media payment law that spurred Facebook to censor news content in Australia will soon be in force after the Australian federal Parliament ratified it on Thursday. The media payment law locks Google and Facebook into a framework where eligible news outlets in Australia, with a minimum revenue of $150,000, can enter negotiations with the tech giants for payment of their content. Facebook secured several amendments to the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code after it prevented news content from being displayed on its platform last week and suspended the pages of major news outlets. The ban caused major disruption across the country when it inexplicably suspended the Facebook pages of non-media organisations, including trade unions, charities, the weather bureau, and government health services. However, 11th-hour negotiations between Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and Australian Communications Minister Paul Fletcher meant the sweeping ban was …
The contentious “world-first” media payment law that spurred Facebook to censor news content in Australia will soon be in force after the Australian federal Parliament ratified it on Thursday. The media payment law locks Google and Facebook into a framework where eligible news outlets in Australia, with a minimum revenue of $150,000, can enter negotiations
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