Australia Moves to Give Social Media Users Control Over Algorithms

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.