Oz blinks first in Facebook row
Tough laws to make tech titans pay for journalism are watered down in deal
AUSTRALIA has watered down tough proposed new laws to force tech giants to pay a fair price for journalism as Facebook ended a week-long news blackout.
The social media behemoth last week stopped the country’s 17million Facebook users from viewing local and some international news in retaliation over the plans.
After days of international condemnation and calls for powerful digital firms to be reined in, it struck a deal with Australia and won changes to the proposed legislation before it is passed.
The Canberra government was accused of caving in, with one analyst saying: ‘Facebook won.’
The laws were designed to probook
‘Business as usual’
tect the future of journalism, with online titans paying to use others’ work, from which they then profit by selling advertising.
But Facebook said the concessions won gave it the freedom to choose which publishers to support, giving rise to fears it could block news outlets critical of it or ban those charging higher prices.
And the law’s major threat, that of independent arbitration if Facebook and publishers fail to agree a ‘fair price’ for news, was watered down to a ‘last resort’ – only if negotiations fail after two months.
Facebook vice president of global news partnerships Campbell Brown said: ‘The government has clarified we will retain the ability to decide if news appears on Faceso we won’t automatically be subject to forced negotiation. We have come to an agreement that will allow us to support the publishers we choose to, including small and local publishers.’
The tech giant agreed – after talks involving founder Mark Zuckerberg – to reverse its ban in the wake of worldwide condemnation. Australian prime minister Scott Morrison fielded queries from several leaders over the clash, including Boris Johnson and India’s Narendra Modi. Rival Microsoft is among those calling for an Australian-style law in Europe, an idea that has backing in Britain.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden will meet Facebook bosses tomorrow to demand answers.
Speaking about the deal, Stephen Scheeler, the former head of Facebook Australia and New Zealand, told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I’d say Facebook may have blinked a bit here.’ But British tech analyst Richard Windsor said: ‘Facebook has scored a big win in arriving at an agreement with concessions that virtually guarantee that it will be business as usual from here on.’
And Australian internet analyst Paul Budde said: ‘Facebook won, as the necessary changes were made to the legislation that avoids them making changes to their business model.’