Australian government to amend laws to make Google and Facebook pay
Australia's government said on Tuesday it will amend draft laws
that would make Google and Facebook pay for news
to clarify that publishers would be paid in lump sums rather than per click on
news article links.
The legislative changes described in a government statement as
clarifications and technical amendments follow Australian ministers' weekend discussions
with Facebook CEO
Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Alphabet Inc. and its
subsidiary Google.
The conservative government hopes to enact the so-called News
Media Bargaining Code before the current session of Parliament ends on Feb. 25.
The amendment to be introduced to Parliament on Wednesday improve
the workability of the code while retaining its overall effect, Treasurer Josh
Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said in a joint statement.
The opposition center-left Labor Party agreed at a meeting of
lawmakers on Tuesday to support the bill, guaranteeing its passage through the
Senate where the government does not hold a majority of seats.
But the government might have to compromise with further Senate
amendments.
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