Meta Platforms, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, among others, will stop paying for news from Australian media companies. The company said it will cancel the Facebook News tab in Australia and will not renew deals with news publishers worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
“People don’t come to Facebook for news and political content,” the company said in a statement explaining the move. Meta had previously announced that it would not renew content agreements with news publishers in the United States, Great Britain, France and Germany.
In fact, governments have called on social media groups to pay for news to support struggling news companies. Media companies around the world have seen their revenues decline for years, as advertisers flock to popular digital platforms like Google and Facebook to reach consumers.
The minister responds angrily
Three years ago, Meta's promise to pay news media prompted the Australian government to weaken legislation around online platforms and their relationships with news media. Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland responded angrily to Meta's announcement on Friday, suggesting the government may take retaliatory action.
“The decision removes an important source of income for Australian news media companies. Australian news publishers deserve fair compensation for the content they provide,” Rowland said. According to the minister, the government “will consider all available options” to address the problem.
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