Call for tech giants to obey new ‘social licence’ if they want to stay in Australia
The news landscape has become the ‘canary in the coal mine’ as social media giants push the boundaries of regulation, prompting one media executive to call for a new legal regime.
Social media platforms included Facebook and X, formerly Tweetonce filled their feeds with news content to attract signups and engagement.
But as their user bases have grown, the platforms have started to suppress news content and choke off traffic to publications.
Instagram users now have to explicitly opt-in for ‘political’ content, Facebook will soon discontinue its news tab, and X will no longer show news headlines and links on posts.
And in March, Meta – owner of Instagram and Facebook – revealed it would not renew its multimillion-dollar deals with Australian news publishers under the News Media Bargaining Code.
Social media must meet community obligations, says News Corp.’s Michael Miller. (Lukas Coch/MONK PHOTOS)
In March, Meta – which owns Instagram and Facebook – revealed it would not renew its multimillion-dollar deals with Australian news publishers under the News Media Bargaining Code. Pictured: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Michael Miller, director of News Corp Australasia, said it is time to level the playing field.
“These tech giants – especially social media networks like Meta, TikTok and X – operate outside our legal system,” he told the National Press Club on Wednesday.
“We know the collective damage they cause to our young and old, to large and small companies, to our democracy.”
Social media has fueled problems like cyberbullying, revenge porn, doxxing, trolling, eating disorders and mental health issues, Miller said.
The role of social media in spreading violent content has also been debated in recent months, after videos of a stabbing at a Western Sydney church circulated on X.
“The news media is the canary in the coal mine and this current battle in my industry is part of a much larger battle, one that will encompass and impact more industries and more people,” he said.
‘As a nation we cannot blink our eyes now. No company should be too big to regulate.”
He calls on the government to rein in the tech goliaths by introducing a ‘social license’.
Technology companies would have to pay for the license and then adhere to a series of laws and requirements.
Platforms would be liable for all content amplified, created and monitored by their algorithms, and would be required to maintain an effective system for handling consumer complaints and contribute to funding aimed at addressing mental health issues.
Those who refuse to comply will be punished, and anyone who agrees to the permit but breaks the rules may face criminal penalties.
“If a company wants the right to access every part of our lives so it can profit from our habits and choices… there is a price to pay,” Miller said.
News Corp plays an important role in the Australian news landscape, but questions have been raised about whether the company is qualified to tackle these issues.
The now-defunct British newspaper News of the World was embroiled in a phone hacking scandal in the 2000s and Fox News was forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars over allegations that it published false statements about voting machines used in the 2020 US election.
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the idea of News Corp lecturing people on ethics was “a bit ridiculous”.
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the idea of News Corp lecturing people on ethics was “a bit ridiculous”.
“They have a terrible record of ethics,” he told ABC radio.
But Miller argued that the company has the right to advise technology companies.
“We have been in business for 75 years and many of our mastheads are over 150 years old,” he said.
“We comply with and are subject to Australian law, we meet our social obligations, we give back, we proactively advocate for a better Australia.
“I can’t say the same about the technology platforms.”
