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- Major media organisations like News Corp, Nine Entertainment and the ABC are “very close” to a potential windfall from tech giants under the proposed media bargaining laws
- But the effort to make Facebook and Google pay for content that appears on their sites remains contentious, and Microsoft is now seeking to take advantage of the opportunity
- Late last week, a Senate committee endorsed the proposed laws in a report that included support from both Labor and the Greens
- Google’s News Showcase platform was launched in Australia earlier this month, and already includes content from The Canberra Times, Crikey and The Conversation
- The latest deal, which was revealed this morning, was signed between the tech giant and Seven West Media
Major media organisations like News Corp, Nine Entertainment and the ABC are “very close” to a potential windfall from tech giants under the proposed media bargaining laws, according to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
While a number of deals have already been struck with smaller publishers, the effort to make Facebook and Google pay for content that appears on their sites remains contentious, and Microsoft is now seeking to take advantage of the opportunity.
For the second time this month, Frydenberg spoke with Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg on Sunday.
“I spoke to him just yesterday, and I have been speaking as recently as this morning as well as over the weekend with Sundar [Pichai], the head of Google,” Frydenberg said.
“They are very focused on what’s happening here in Australia, but I sense they are also trying to reach deals, and that is welcome.”
Late last week, a Senate committee endorsed the proposed laws — which were originally drafted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission — in a report that included support from both Labor and the Greens.
Both Google and Facebook have been critical of the media bargaining code, with Google threatening to withdraw its search engine from Australia and Facebook stating it would prevent users from posting news content on its platform.
Meanwhile, Microsoft said it would invest in its own search engine, Bing, to fill the void.
However, Google snapped back at Microsoft on Friday in a blog post written by senior executive Kent Walker.
“Microsoft’s take on Australia’s proposed law is unsurprising — of course, they’d be eager to impose an unworkable levy on a rival and increase their market share,” he said.
Google’s News Showcase platform was launched in Australia earlier this month, and already includes content from The Canberra Times, Crikey and The Conversation.
The latest deal, which was revealed this morning, was signed between the tech giant and Seven West Media.
“The negotiations with Google recognise the value of quality and original journalism throughout the country and, in particular, in regional areas,” said Seven West Chairman Kerry Stokes.
“Google is to be congratulated for taking a leadership position in Australia and we believe their team is committed to the spirit of the proposed code.”
