Meta, Google, TikTok Face New Australian Tax Over News Revenue
variety.comNaman Ramachandran Australia has unveiled plans to implement a targeted tax on major digital platforms that don’t share revenue with news organizations, marking its latest move to regulate tech companies’ relationships with media outlets.
The measure, set to take effect Jan. 1, will impact tech companies earning over AU$250 million ($159 million) annually in Australia, including Meta, Google parent Alphabet, and ByteDance’s TikTok.
Australian government Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones underlined the tax’s primary function as leverage rather than revenue generation. “The real objective is to incentivize agreement-making between platforms and news media businesses in Australia,” Jones told reporters, according to AP.
The government’s announcement follows Meta’s recent decision to discontinue its three-year payment agreements with Australian news publishers.
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