Ankara: Australia's Parliament has passed legislation aimed at encouraging large digital platforms to pay news organizations for the journalism they use on their search and social media services. The new law, known as the News Bargaining Incentive, is designed to ensure that digital platforms engage in fair compensation practices with news publishers.

According to Anadolu Agency, the News Bargaining Incentive allows eligible platforms to reduce their financial liability by entering into commercial agreements with at least eight Australian news businesses. If platforms choose not to make such deals, they will face a charge based on their Australian digital advertising revenue. The revenue collected from these charges will be allocated to the media industry through the News Journalism Payments scheme.

The government has clarified that this legislation addresses a loophole in the existing News Media Bargaining Code, which previously allowed platforms to evade payment obligations by simply removing news content from their services. Under the new law, commercial agreements must be finalized before the end of a platform's financial reporting period to be considered in reducing liability for that period.

The legislation aims to support news organizations of various sizes, including small and regional publishers. Communications Minister Anika Wells emphasized the importance of journalism in maintaining a strong democracy, highlighting its role in holding individuals, companies, and governments accountable. Wells also noted that the laws would provide crucial support to small and regional publishers, ensuring that local communities continue to have a voice.

Assistant Treasurer and Financial Services Minister Daniel Mulino stated that the government is committed to supporting Australian journalism while encouraging digital platforms to negotiate directly with publishers. The introduction of the News Media Bargaining Code in 2021 was a significant step in addressing the power imbalance between major technology platforms and news organizations. The new incentive strengthens this system by making it more costly for eligible platforms to avoid entering into commercial agreements altogether.