Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has recently announced a major decision that will impact news publishers in Australia, France, and Germany. The company revealed that it will no longer compensate news publishers for their content on the social media platform, leading to a fresh confrontation with the Australian government.
This move by Meta Platforms comes as the company has been reducing its promotion of news and political content on its platforms. In addition to stopping compensation for news publishers, Meta Platforms has also terminated its news tab in the U.K., France, and Germany. As a result, the company will not enter into new commercial deals for traditional news content in these countries and will not introduce new Facebook products specifically for news publishers.
This decision puts Meta Platforms at odds with the Australian government, which has the authority to appoint a mediator to determine the fees that large tech firms must pay for news links, as per a 2021 law. The decision by Meta Platforms to stop compensating news publishers marks a significant shift from its previous stance on the issue. In January, it was reported that Meta’s refusal to share revenue could cost news publishers billions in traffic referrals.
However, this move by Meta Platforms is not entirely unexpected, as the company has been taking a firm stance on news content compensation laws. In February, Meta clarified its position on Indonesia’s law that mandates digital platforms to compensate news publishers for their content, stating that the law does not apply to them for content that publishers post voluntarily on its platforms.
This decision by Meta Platforms has significant implications for news publishers in Australia, France, and Germany, as they will no longer receive compensation for their content on Facebook. It remains to be seen how this move will impact the relationship between tech companies and news publishers, as well as the broader media landscape.
