Australia Plans Tax Push to Make Google and Meta Pay for News
Australia’s parliament passed the News Media Bargaining Code on February 25, 2021, using mandatory arbitration to encourage digital platforms to sign paid agreements with local media outlets. Meta’s subsequent refusal to renew its agreements exposed how platforms could avoid the obligation by removing news. Because news revenue helps sustain public-interest journalism, the balance of bargaining power between platforms and publishers has again become a policy focus.
The Australian government released a draft of its News Bargaining Incentive on April 28, 2026, targeting Google, Meta and TikTok, each of which generates more than A$250 million in annual Australian revenue. Companies that fail to reach licensing agreements would be charged 2.25% of their total Australian revenue, a measure expected to raise A$200 million to A$250 million a year. The government plans to submit the proposal to parliament by July 2. All three companies oppose it, while Google has criticized the exclusion of AI platforms such as OpenAI.
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The history behind this eventMeta Strikes $50 Million AI Content Licensing Deal with News Corp
Generative AI companies have long faced copyright disputes over the unauthorized use of news content, while media groups are seeking to turn their reporting into licensing revenue. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is partnering with News Corp to establish a lawful channel for accessing trusted journalism from outlets including The Wall Street Journal. The arrangement could also make Meta AI’s answers to news-related questions more timely and reliable.
The Wall Street Journal reported on March 3, 2026, that Meta would pay News Corp up to $50 million annually under an agreement lasting at least three years. The license covers current and archived content from the group’s U.S. and U.K. publications. The material may be used to train AI models and help chatbots retrieve information and generate responses. At the three-year maximum, the licensing fees could total as much as $150 million.
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