Australia moves to tax Meta, Google and TikTok to fund newsrooms

ABC NewsLiveVideoShowsShopInterest Successfully AddedWe'll notify you here with news aboutTurn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? OffOnStream onAustralia moves to tax Meta, Google and TikTok to fund newsroomsAustralia is proposing to tax digital giants Meta, Google and TikTok a proportion of their revenue to pay for news reportersByROD MCGUIRK Associated PressApril 28, 2026, 4:37 AM1:52The home pages of Meta, Google and TikTok are displayed on devices in Sydney, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)The Associated PressMELBOURNE, 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.The platforms’ criticisms included that the proposal was a “digital services tax” that misunderstood the evolving advertising industry and would fail to deliver a sustainable news sector.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a monetary value needed to be attached to journalists’ work.“It shouldn’t just be able to be taken by a large multinational corporation and used to generate profits for that organisation with no compensation appropriate for the people who produce that creative content,” Albanese told reporters.“We think that investment in journalism is critical to a healthy democracy,” he added.It’s Australia's second legislative attempt to make the platforms pay for the Australian news text and images that their users view.Digital platforms had been pressured to strike deals with Australian news publishers to pay for journalism by legislation passed in 2021 that created the country's News Media Bargaining Code.The platforms chose to reach commercial deals with news creators rather than be forced into arbitration and have a judge set the price.But they have since avoided renewing those deals by removing news from their services.The proposed News Bargaining Incentive would charge major platforms that choose not to strike commercial deals with news publishers a 2.25% tax on their Australian revenue.The platforms would be given offsets and their overall costs would be lowered if they agree to pay publishers for journalism, the government said.The government expects the incentive would raise between 200 to 250 million Australian dollars ($144 million-$179 million) a year. That was about as much as the platforms paid news outlets when the News Media Bargaining Code was working at its peak.Popular ReadsUS being 'humiliated' by Iran, German chancellor saysApr 28, 3:05 AMIran live updates: Trump says Iran 'informed' US that it's in a 'state of collapse'3 hours agoTrump says US Navy attacked and seized Iranian-flagged cargo shipApr 19, 10:21 PMThe government would distribute that income among news organizations based on how many journalists each organization employed, Communication Minister Anika Wells said.The tax would apply to Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, Google, which is owned by Alphabet Inc., and TikTok, which is majority-owned by U.S.-backed investors.Opposing the proposed legislation, Meta said news organizations “voluntarily post content on our platforms because they receive value from doing so.”“The idea that we take their news content is simply wrong. This proposed…

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