Peak broadcasting industry body Free TV Australia today released a submission to the ACCC setting out how Google and Facebook should be required to pay for the use of news content on their platforms. The ACCC sought submissions to assist it in drafting the mandatory news media bargaining Code of Conduct announced by the Government in April.
Free TV CEO Bridget Fair said: “There has never been a more important time for news media businesses to receive fair remuneration for their trusted news content that is relied upon by all Australians.
Free TV has proposed that Google and Facebook should be required to pay a collective fee of 10 per cent of their Australian based revenues across all of their products and services into a pool to be distributed to Australian news media businesses.
“Despite the significant value obtained by Google and Facebook from the news content of Free TV broadcasters, they do not receive fair payment for the use of their content on the core services of Google Search, Facebook Newsfeed and Instagram.
“Under the model proposed by Free TV, this value would be collected and distributed to Australian news media businesses to enable the continued investment in local news media services.
“This model should be established and enforced by the ACCC, who will also need strong powers to protect against punitive responses by Google and Facebook. It must be illegal for Google or Facebook to deindex or downrank content that is subject to the mandatory Code of Conduct.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the ACCC before it publishes the draft mandatory Code next month,” Fair said.
Download a copy of PDF here