A government arbitrator will set rates tech giants have to pay
Sydney: The Australian parliament on Thursday passed a news media and digital platforms mandatory bargaining code that will make it compulsory for Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook Inc to pay media companies for content.
The code will be reviewed within one year of its commencement, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said in a joint statement.
"The code will ensure that news media businesses are fairly remunerated for the content they generate, helping to sustain public-interest journalism in Australia," they said.
The passage of the code, developed after extensive analysis from Australia's anti-trust regulator and almost three years of public consultation, may offer encouragement to countries such as Britain and Canada which are planning similar laws.