SYDNEY, Australia – Meta has hit back at Australia’s draft legislation requiring social media platforms to compensate news publishers, branding the proposed law “grossly unfair” and “economically incoherent”.
The tech giant, which owns Facebook and Instagram, launched a scathing attack on Thursday against measures that would force major platforms to pay for news content shared on their services.
“Our position is clear: this law is poorly designed, grossly unfair, and will fail to deliver a diverse and sustainable news industry,” Meta said in a statement. “We are vehemently opposed to this legislation.”
The draft laws specifically target Meta, Google and TikTok, requiring them to negotiate content deals directly with Australian news publishers. Companies that refuse would face a compulsory levy of 2.25% of their Australian revenue.
The three firms were selected based on their substantial Australian revenues and large domestic user bases.
Meta described the proposed measure as discriminatory, arguing it unfairly singles out foreign companies whilst leaving competitors offering similar services without equivalent obligations.
“Call it what it is: a discriminatory, retroactive tax targeting a handful of foreign companies while competitors offering comparable services face no equivalent obligation,” the company said.
Battle for media survival
The legislation comes as traditional media companies worldwide struggle to survive whilst readers increasingly consume news through social media platforms.
Australian authorities argue that tech companies attract users with news stories whilst capturing online advertising revenue that would otherwise support struggling newsrooms.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the measures in April, stating that journalism must have a “monetary value attached to it”.
“Large digital platforms cannot avoid their obligations under the news media bargaining code,” Albanese said. “It shouldn’t be able to be taken by a large multinational corporation and used to generate profits with no compensation.”
Research from the University of Canberra found that more than half of Australians use social media as a source of news.
Closing the loophole
The draft laws aim to prevent social media companies from simply removing news content from their platforms, a tactic Meta employed when Canberra proposed similar legislation in 2024.
At that time, Meta blocked Australian users from accessing the “news” tab on its platforms. The company has also declined to renew content deals with news publishers in the United States, Britain, France and Germany.
The legislation is expected to be introduced into parliament later this year.
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Leading global regulation
Australia has positioned itself at the forefront of efforts to regulate big tech companies and social media platforms.
In December 2025, the country became the first in the world to ban under-16s from major social media platforms, introducing measures designed to protect children from online bullying and what authorities described as “predatory algorithms”.
The news payment legislation represents the latest chapter in Australia’s ongoing efforts to hold tech giants accountable for their role in the digital economy and information ecosystem.
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