Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • beats
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    • California Dream
    • Videos
    • Photos
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Roots
    • Eclectic
    • Videos
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight
    • California State of Mind
    • The View From Here
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • Insight Music
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • CapRadio Travels
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support / Underwriting
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Volunteering
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 

Facebook To Restore News Content After Brokering Deal With Australian Regulators

By Jaclyn Diaz, Shannon Bond | NPR
Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Facebook rescinded its ban on the sharing of news stories in Australia after the government amended proposed laws that will require social media companies to pay news publishers for sharing or using content on their platforms.

Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

Updated at 1:36 p.m. ET

Facebook will restore news pages in Australia after the government agreed to change a proposed law forcing tech companies to pay publishers for news content.

"Facebook has refriended Australia," said Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

The proposal would force Google and Facebook to pay Australian news publishers for stories. It would allow media companies to bargain, either individually or collectively, with the companies over payment. If no agreement could be reached, payment terms would be set by a third-party arbitrator in a government-run process.

The government's latest tweaks to the measure give the platforms more time to negotiate with publishers and clarify that they can potentially avoid forced arbitration if they reach deals.

Both platforms objected to the proposed media code, particularly its forced arbitration provision. But last week, Google dropped its objections and struck deals with the nation's biggest publishers. Facebook, in contrast, protested and yanked news content from its site in Australia last Thursday, sparking outrage from critics around the world.

After a weekend of what Frydenberg described as "intensive negotiations," Facebook backed down.

"We are satisfied that the Australian government has agreed to a number of changes and guarantees that address our core concerns about allowing commercial deals that recognize the value our platform provides to publishers relative to the value we receive from them," said William Easton, Facebook's managing director for Australia and New Zealand, in a statement. The platform contends that publishers benefit more than it does from having news on Facebook.

Under the amended media code, the platforms would get more time to reach agreements with publishers. The arbitration provision remains, but only as a "last resort" if "good faith" negotiations fail.

Another amendment says the government must consider whether the platforms have "made a significant contribution to the sustainability of the Australian news industry" by striking any commercial deals with publishers, before forcing them to abide by the media code at all. Both Facebook and Google already pay some publishers for news content that appears on parts of their sites.

Facebook said it also retained the right to pull news content once again in Australia if the government does try to apply the media code against it.

"Going forward, the government has clarified we will retain the ability to decide if news appears on Facebook so that we won't automatically be subject to a forced negotiation," Campbell Brown, Facebook's vice president of news, said in a statement.

Hours after Facebook agreed to reverse its news ban, the social network said it reached a deal with Seven West Media, one of Australia's major newspaper and TV channel owners.

Editor's note: Facebook and Google are among NPR's financial supporters.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

View this story on npr.org
Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

Coronavirus Newsletter

Get answers to your questions, the latest updates and easy access to the resources you need, delivered to your inbox.

 

Want to know what to expect? Here's a recent newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

We'll send you weekly emails so you can stay informed about the coronavirus in California.

Browse all newsletters

Most Viewed

California Coronavirus Updates: Gov. Gavin Newsom Gets Flack From Republican Governor Candidate Kevin Faulconer Over School Reopenings

California Coronavirus Updates: Gov. Newsom Says Deal Is Being Negotiated To Reopen Schools Shortly

Newsom Signs Economic Relief Package, Sending $600 Stimulus Payments To Low-Income Californians

When Can I Get A COVID-19 Vaccine? How Will I Find Out? Answers To Your California Vaccine Questions.

Tim O'Brien On Late-In-Life Fatherhood And The Things He Carried From Vietnam

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2021, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.