Microsoft has advised its counterparts, Google and Facebook to comply with Australia’s demand of compensating content creators fairly as most of their advertisements run on the back of publishers’ content.
Google had earlier threatened to leave Australia altogether, news which Microsoft’s Bing gladly showed eagerness to fill whatever gaps they leave behind while Facebook has disclosed plans to block the sharing of news-related content.
The Australian government’s argument is that a lot of the earnings which these digital platforms garner from advertisers are done at the expense of the publishers who see none in terms of profit.
The government is now pushing for these tech giants to come to a revenue-sharing partnership with publishers. Facebook has argued that the new directive will hamper the free flow of information but the Australian government has remained adamant.
Many have criticized Microsoft’s interference Microsoft’s considering the fact that Bing is far behind in terms of competition.
However, Opera currently runs a similar model with news agencies where it offers to share revenue on a 50% basis with publishers.