Meta Pulled a Similar Move in Canada Three Years Ago, Blocking Facebook and Instagram Users From Sharing Links to News Articles

Australia's parliament has passed a law forcing Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn and other major tech companies to pay levies unless they strike deals with local news publishers. The legislation, approved by both houses, requires qualifying platforms to pay 2.75 percent of their local revenues if they fail to reach agreements with at least eight news outlets by the end of their annual reporting periods. The deals, which must support publishers' news production, will offset the levies the companies would otherwise owe.

The levy applies to firms generating over AU$250 million ($178 million) in local advertising revenue while operating a "significant" social media service or search engine in Australia. According to, the money raised from the levies will go to publishers, as tech companies benefit from their work through engagement and ad revenue. The amount each publisher receives will depend on the number of journalists, including freelancers, it employs.

The new law replaces 2021 rules that the Australian government said were no longer working effectively. After those measures took effect five years ago, Meta temporarily blocked publishers and users from sharing news articles. It later reached deals with local outlets, but those expired two years ago. Meta pulled a similar move in Canada three years ago, blocking Facebook and Instagram users from sharing links to news articles.