Australia moves to tax Meta, Google and TikTok to fund newsrooms
Australia has proposed a tax on Meta, Google, and TikTok to fund journalism, aiming to create financial incentives for these companies to support news organizations. The draft legislation, expected to be introduced by July 2, would impose a 2.25% tax on the platforms' Australian revenue if they do not reach commercial agreements with news publishers. Critics, including the targeted companies, argue that the proposal misrepresents the advertising industry and could undermine the sustainability of the news sector.
- ▪The proposed tax aims to raise between 200 to 250 million Australian dollars annually.
- ▪The tax would apply to major platforms that do not strike deals with news publishers.
- ▪Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized the importance of compensating journalists for their work.
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Technology Australia moves to tax Meta, Google and TikTok to fund newsrooms April 29, 20261:20 AM ET By The Associated Press The home pages of Meta, Google and TikTok are displayed on devices in Sydney, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Rick Rycroft/AP hide caption toggle caption Rick Rycroft/AP MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia has proposed taxing digital giants Meta, Google and TikTok a proportion of their revenue to pay for news reporters. The government released draft legislation Tuesday it intends to introduce to Parliament by July 2 that would create a financial incentive for the social media companies to strike deals with news organizations to pay for journalism.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at NPR — News.