The Greens have lashed a slow down on Australia’s plan to start charging online platforms that refuse to pay for news content, following a report the government is going slow to appease a Trump administration.
The government did not reject a report on Monday that it had “paused” the development of a News Media Bargaining Incentive it announced late last year and said would apply from January.
Citing Australian officials as sources, the report said the Albanese government won’t proceed with the policy until debate on US tariffs died down, and that working with the new Trump administration had been “mayhem”.
The Incentive was announced in December by Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones and Communications minister Michelle Rowland. It followed Meta’s decision not to renew deals with publishers that was compensating outlets $70 million.
The government’s planned incentive will impose a liability through the tax system on social media and search companies with at least $250 million in local revenue from those services, with Meta, Google and TikTok owner ByteDance in the crosshairs.
If the companies do not strike the agreements, the charge will be applied each year and then redistributed to media companies, although many key details are yet to be developed.
At the time Mr Jones and Ms Rowland stressed the new policy was not a tax, helping to avoid the perception it was targeting US firms.
But the policy is on the backburner in an effort to appease the Trump administration, which is also threatening tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Asked about the reports, a government spokesperson said, “The government is continuing to work constructively with stakeholders on the News Bargaining Incentive.”
Ms Rowland’s office declined to provide any indication of a timeline for consultation or enforcement.
Greens communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said the government needs to stand up for public interest journalism.
“Cowering to the bully won’t protect Australia’s interests or ensure public interest journalism is protected,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“The tech bro billionaires and President Trump are a threat to democracy and they will not respect a strategy of appeasement and delay.”
The South Australian senator said the delay also raises questions about the government’s commitment to other new policies that will impact the US giant.
The Albanese government has announced a new digital duty of care and a European style ex ante competition regime for large platforms, and is sitting on a review of online safety laws that has called for sweeping reforms.
“The backdown now begs the question, what about all policies that seek to hold the tech giants to account and make platforms safer,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“From social media age bans, duty of care obligations and scam laws, is the Albanese Government abandoning those too?
“Donald Trump is not our President – and his anti-truth, anti-journalism agenda should not dictate policy here in Australia.”
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