at the hearing.
Even more so, regional director Mia Garlick stated that “all options are on the table” and that “There's a large number of channels that people can get news content from" when talking about the repercussions Australia might have in the case of forcing fees.
She also said that Meta had been waiting for the decision since 2021 from Canberra to decide whether or not fees would be applied to U.S. companies and media outlets for links. The comments made by Mia Garlick are clear and strong signs that the situation is similar to the one encountered in 2023 in Canada when they initiated their laws.
Even more so, Meta had in the past a deal with NWSA, also known as News Corp - a media company from Australia - and the Australian Broadcasting Corp when the law was incorporated in Australia. However, they will not renew those agreements after 2024 ends as a result of the implied fees.
The decision is now left to the Australian government to see whether or not they will introduce the fee policy for Facebook, Meta’s product. Reuters wrote in an article that the assistant treasurer is continuously collecting data and info. However, it seems like Meta is only listening when the laws suit them.
Nine Entertainment and Seven West Media, major television broadcasters, are actively laying off their employees due to their deals that will no longer continue with Meta. Meta’s regional director Mia Garlick also reported that “Every other law - tax laws, safety laws, privacy laws - we work to comply with, (...) "It's just compliance would look slightly different in relation to this law if it's fully enacted.”.
In response to those, Stephen Jones, The assistant treasurer from Australia, said that their government would “not be held ransom by multinational companies who blatantly threaten to avoid”. And that “The government is following the process laid out by the code to the letter of the law,”.
Stephen Jones also announced, “Under the code, I am required to consider several factors, informed by advice from the ACCC and Treasury, before making a decision. This is a significant decision, and it requires careful consideration,” referring to the decision he needs to make to decide which digital platforms need to comply with the licensing fees.
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