Google's and Facebook's loud appeal to users over the news media bargaining code shows a lack …

Over the past few weeks, Google and Facebook have engaged in desperate attempts to avoid regulation under the Australian government’s proposed mandatory news media bargaining code. Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg even appealed to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher personally last week, hoping to shift the government’s hard stance. Both platforms’ strategies have involved a mixture of user-focused advertising, political lobbying, and even threats to pull services from Australia. But what may initially seem like a confident stance reveals itself, upon closer inspection, as a panicked approach — one spurred by a lack of earlier action. A delayed reaction comes with a price The government has largely ignored the threats and is pushing ahead with reform — with a determination that underlines Google’s and Facebook’s ongoing inability to make inroads in Canberra. Both tech giants have sought to stop the implementation of the mandatory code, which would force them to pay Australian news companies for content that appears on their platforms. It also requires they abide by certain minimum standards, including informing media companies about the type of data collected through users’ interactions with news,  » Read More