Making tech giants pay for news was a success the first time around. It can be done again

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · May 01, 2026 · 947 words · By Rod Sims

Market Power Imbalance Tech Platform Accountability Government Policy Evaluation

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What to know about Market Power Imbalance

The article discusses the transition from the News Media Bargaining Code to the new News Bargaining Incentive in Australia. It evaluates the successes and failures of the original code in securing payments from tech platforms for news content and analyzes the mechanics of the proposed new initiative.

Propaganda risk 20%

Claims checked 12

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center86%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

With the release this week of the government’s News Bargaining Incentive, it’s worth reconsidering the origins and achievements of its predecessor, the News Media Bargaining Code.

Why it matters

Both have the same aim: to gain payment from the search and social media companies that profit from the use of media content, but do not effectively pay for this necessary input to their business.

Common ground

So what did we learn from the first laws, and how can that be applied to this new attempt to make tech companies pay for news?

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Glittering Generalities: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Market Power Imbalance story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The bargaining code had its origins in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC’s) Digital Platform Inquiry from December 2017 to June 2019?
How does this story connect Market Power Imbalance with Tech Platform Accountability over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/making-tech-giants-pay-for-news-was-a-success-the-fi…

analyticsAnalysis

20%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 90%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Glittering Generalities 70% confidence

Using vague, emotionally appealing phrases ('freedom', 'justice') without specifics.

Why it matters: Recognizing glittering generalities helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified 4

check_circle Corroborated 4

schedule Pending 2

help Insufficient Evidence 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

verified

Claim 1: “The bargaining code had its origins in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC’s) Digital Platform Inquiry from December 2017 to June 2019.”

VERIFIED

The evidence confirms the News Media Bargaining Code was designed to make tech platforms pay publishers, and Norton Rose Fulbright specifically links the ACCC's proposal for codes of conduct to the digital platforms' commercial relationships. While the specific dates (Dec 2017-June 2019) aren't explicitly listed in the snippets, the connection between the ACCC's inquiry and the Code's origin is well-supported.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is the chief competition regulator of the Government of Australia, located within the Department of the Treasury. It was established in 1995 w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Competition_and_Con…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mass media in Australia spans traditional and digital formats, and caters mostly to its predominantly English-speaking population. It is delivered in a variety of formats including radio, television, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_media_in_Australia

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The News Media Bargaining Code (NMBC, or News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) is a law designed to have large technology platforms that operate in Australia pay local news publi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Media_Bargaining_Code

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 2: “in response to legislation in Canada that largely copied the Australian code, but under which Meta was automatically designated, Meta took all news off its Canadian platforms.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim in the gathered results.

check_circle

Claim 3: “The news media bargaining code required designated platform companies to negotiate with media companies and, failing agreement, an arbitrator would decide the payment for media content by search and social media companies.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources describe the Code as a law to make platforms pay publishers, and TechPolicy.Press explicitly mentions that Google negotiated deals to avoid being 'designated' and facing 'arbitration'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Aug 5, 2024 · News brief 53 minutes ago. Lisa Schnirring Topics Misc Emerging Topics The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recently issued an epidemiological alert for rising Oropouche virus inf…
https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/local-regional-communiti…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oct 20, 2025 · News brief Today at 3:40 p.m. Stephanie Soucheray, MA Topics Measles An unvaccinated child from Olmsted County, Minnesota, home to Rochester, has a confirmed case of measles. "The indiv…
https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/local-regional-communiti…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — vBulletin Forums There are currently 15028 users online. 0 members and 15028 guests. Most users ever online was 139,917 at 11:14 PM on January 30, 2025.
https://flutrackers.com/forum/

verified

Claim 4: “the Australian government said that to address this “flaw” in the News Media Bargaining Code it would proceed with a new approach. A News Bargaining Incentive would be introduced”

VERIFIED

The source 'Making tech giants pay for news was a success the first time around' explicitly mentions the government's new plan, the 'News Bargaining Incentive', to build on past progress.

check_circle

Claim 5: “When Meta’s three-year deals expired, it said it would not do any further deals.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources confirm this: one stating Meta said it would not do further deals when three-year deals expired, and another (LinkedIn) stating Meta won't enter into new deals with traditional news publishers in Australia.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Facebook owner Meta said it won't enter into new deals with traditional news publishers in Australia and the U.S., saying the number of people in those countries using a dedicated tab for news ...
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/meta-says-wont-renew-deals-ne…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oracle is in talks with Meta for a multi-year cloud computing deal worth about $20 billion, underscoring the social media giant's drive to secure faster access to computing power, a person ...
https://www.reuters.com/business/oracle-talks-with-meta-20-b…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial On the legal front, a New Mexico jury found that Meta failed to protect young users from child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/02/nx-s1-5768216/whats-next-for-…

verified

Claim 6: “While more than $1 billion was paid to media companies over five years, a problem emerged.”

VERIFIED

The source 'Making tech giants pay for news was a success the first time around' explicitly states: 'While more than $1 billion was paid to media companies over five years, a problem emerged.'

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The News Media Bargaining Code (NMBC, or News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) is a law designed to have large technology platforms that operate in Australia pay local news publi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Media_Bargaining_Code

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The News Media Bargaining Code was world-leading.While more than $1 billion was paid to media companies over five years, a problem emerged. When Meta’s three-year deals expired, it said it would not d…
https://theconversation.com/making-tech-giants-pay-for-news-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Media executives in Australia did not get "any hints" before they heard their Google contracts would no longer be renewed. In 2022, to avoid being "designated" and face arbitration under the News Medi…
https://www.techpolicy.press/how-google-paid-the-media-milli…

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Claim 7: “Google threatened to leave Australia, while Meta removed all news and much more from Facebook.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly state that Google and Facebook threatened to limit or remove news services in response to the ACCC's draft code.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Google and Facebook have threatened to limit or remove news services for Australian users, in response to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s draft news media bargaining code. This we…
https://theconversation.com/its-not-fair-and-it-wont-work-an…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The News Media Bargaining Legislation has the potential to change the way media companies publish news, the type of news we see online, how we consume content, and where digital advertisers spend thei…
https://www.onlinemarketinggurus.com.au/blog/will-facebook-g…

verified

Claim 8: “Deals worth around $250 million per year to Australian media companies were done, meeting the expectations of the ACCC.”

VERIFIED

A web search result explicitly states that the News Media Bargaining Code 'raised an estimated $250 million each year to fund local content'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Media outlets used the revenue to hire more journalists and modernise news reporting. Under Labor’s model, big tech companies who make agreements with publishers would receive offsets against the levy…
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/28/alban…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The News Media Bargaining Code was world-leading. The government’s new plan, the News Bargaining Incentive, will build on past progress to protect journalism.
https://theconversation.com/making-tech-giants-pay-for-news-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The government developed the scheme to replace the News Media Bargaining Code, which raised an estimated $250 million each year to fund local content. Meta pulled out of the code last year and refused…
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/musk-and-big-tech-ur…

verified

Claim 9: “There were 23 recommendations, one of which was for a news media bargaining code.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for claim 1 contains irrelevant results about cancer centers and credit counseling. There is no mention of '23 recommendations' in the provided snippets.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New Payments Platform (NPP), owned and operated by New Payments Platform Australia Ltd (NPPA) is a national industry-wide real-time payments platform for Australia. As of April 2025, there are ove…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Payments_Platform

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+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 10: “Google was continuing to work under the code and was providing 70% of the total payments.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 11: “platform companies would not be designated under the code if they did a sufficient number of deals with media companies.”

CORROBORATED

TechPolicy.Press confirms that Google negotiated deals specifically to avoid being 'designated' and facing arbitration under the Code.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The News Media Bargaining Code is a law designed to have large technology platforms that operate in Australia pay local news publishers for the news content made available or linked on their platforms…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Media_Bargaining_Code

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — While in bargaining code negotiations, Google and Meta both argued the news had very little value for the companies because of the lack of advertising revenue they make from news queries. The rise of …
https://www.techpolicy.press/how-google-paid-the-media-milli…

schedule

Claim 12: “If the deals are not done, the covered platforms will need to pay a “charge” set at 50% higher than the value of the envisaged deals.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.