JAKARTA - The Australian government has officially announced a new bill that could potentially impose a levy on major technology companies such as Meta, Google, and TikTok. This tax is imposed if they do not voluntarily enter into a payment agreement with local media for the distribution of news content.
This step is a new chapter in Australia's efforts to strengthen the sustainability of the traditional media industry, which is facing great pressure due to changes in people's consumption patterns of news that are increasingly shifting to digital platforms.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was giving the three tech giants the chance to sign commercial agreements with domestic news publishers.
However, if they refuse, the government will impose a mandatory levy of 2.25 percent of their income in Australia.
"Large digital platforms cannot avoid their obligations under the media bargaining code," Albanese said at a press conference. "Large digital platforms cannot avoid their responsibilities in supporting the media news ecosystem."
He added that currently the companies that are the main focus of the policy are Meta, Google, and TikTok, which are selected based on a combination of their revenues in Australia and the number of significant domestic users.
The Value of Economic Journalism is RecognizedThe bill is designed to prevent tech companies from simply deleting or restricting news access from their platforms as a form of resistance to regulation.
The move refers to previous experiences when Meta removed the news tab feature in Australia after similar regulatory discussions emerged in 2024. Meanwhile, Google had threatened to limit its search engine service if it was required to pay news publishers.
According to Albanese, journalistic work has real economic value and should not be exploited by multinational companies without compensation.
"Journalism must have a monetary value. It should not be taken by large multinational companies to generate profits without any reward," he said.
The Australian government assesses that local media companies contribute greatly to the quality of information circulating on digital platforms, while advertising profits are actually more enjoyed by technology companies.
Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells has insisted that financial contributions from digital platforms are a form of fairness for the news industry.
"People are increasingly getting their news directly from Facebook, TikTok and Google. We believe it is only right that large platforms contribute to the hard work that enriches their feeds and drives their revenue," Wells said.
Data from the University of Canberra shows that more than half of Australians use social media as their main news source.
The draft regulation was opened for public consultation on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, and the process will last until May. After that, the government plans to bring the regulation to parliament by the end of this year.
The policy is seen as a strategic effort by Australia to create a new balance between global technology companies and national media industries - a battle that is increasingly relevant in an era when the distribution of information is dominated by algorithms, not the front pages of newspapers.
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