Australia's biggest media rivals have united to launch a scathing attack on Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg, branding him a 'digital dictator' who is “bullying” consumers, companies, and the federal government.
Australian media titans launch scathing attack on Mark Zuckerberg after Meta's axing of Facebook media deals
Mr Miller and Mr Sneesby reveal shock new details about how Mark Zuckerberg and his global Meta empire orchestrated an 11th-hour bailout from a relationship worth $70 million per year, and hundreds of Australian jobs, to the local media industry. News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller was the first to receive word - told via a late-night phone call from London on February 29 to be ready for a video conference at 9am the next morning with Meta.
There are growing concerns Meta is planning to block mainstream media from its apps and websites in Australia - as it has already done in other countries, including Canada in August - replacing journalism with propaganda and fake news. Under legislation passed in 2021 by the Morrison government - and supported by Labor - Meta and other international tech giants faced the threat of being “designated” under the so-called news media bargaining code if they didn’t adequately compensate publishers and broadcasters for the journalism that their platforms carry.
“They’re bullying the Australian government by just thumbing their nose at our regulations,” Mr Sneesby said. “If there is a precedent set here where big tech companies can effectively thumb their nose at the Australian government and Australian laws, then the issue is much bigger than the news media bargaining code. So, we have to get action and we have to get action quickly on this matter.”
“I know the Australian government have a process to go through and in the past week, ministers Jones and Rowland have been moving quickly and I appreciate that the prime minister has been firm with his words. “When you look through our history, Australia has one of the proudest and longest living democracies in the world and media and journalists have played an important part in the strength of our democracy.
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