Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is contemplating the drastic step of blocking news content in Australia if the government enforces a law requiring it to pay licensing fees. During a parliamentary hearing on Friday, Mia Garlick, Meta’s regional policy director, stated that “all options are on the table” when asked about the possibility of preventing Australians from sharing news content on the platform to avoid these fees.
Garlick highlighted the availability of various channels for news content, emphasizing Meta’s stance as it awaits Canberra’s decision on whether to apply a 2021 law that empowers the government to set fees for U.S. tech giants like Meta to pay media outlets for content links. This marks Meta’s most definitive indication yet that it might adopt a tough stance similar to its response in Canada in 2023 when similar laws were introduced.
In Australia, Meta had previously reached agreements with major media companies such as News Corp and the Australian Broadcasting Corp following the introduction of the law. However, Meta has since announced its intention not to renew these agreements beyond 2024.
The responsibility now lies with Australia’s assistant treasurer to determine whether to compel Facebook to compensate for news content. The assistant treasurer has indicated that he is still gathering information but has noted that Meta appears to respect the law selectively.
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Meanwhile, Australia’s leading free-to-air television broadcasters, Nine Entertainment and Seven West Media, announced job cuts this week, attributing the decision to revenue losses expected once their deals with Meta conclude.
When questioned on Friday if blocking news content on Facebook in Australia would amount to circumventing the law, Garlick argued that such a move would actually comply with it. She asserted that Meta adheres to various laws, including tax, safety, and privacy laws, and that compliance with this particular law would simply manifest differently if fully enacted.
Garlick defended Meta’s mechanisms for addressing complaints from Australians regarding harmful misinformation or scams, although its content moderation centres are located overseas. Addressing a lawsuit from Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest, who accused Meta of promoting cryptocurrency scam ads featuring his image, Garlick acknowledged the company’s efforts to detect and eliminate scams but admitted to the significant challenges involved.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young challenged Meta’s integrity as an advertising business, criticizing its allowance of misleading ads. Garlick responded by emphasizing Meta’s policies, systems, and tools designed to prevent such advertisements.
