SOCIAL MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Poison pill holds up Facebook deals

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 1-Mar-21

Facebook launched its ‘Facebook News’ product in the US in 2020, but Australia was not included in the launch because of the ongoing discussions about the federal government’s proposed media bargaining code. That code has now passed into law, while Facebook is expected to launch Facebook News in Australia once it has concluded deals with local news publishers. However, such deals are stalling over Facebook’s so-called ‘poison pen’ clause. There are suggestions that publishers could use the code to enter into an arbitration process with Facebook, should it decide to initiate the poison pill.

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Big Tech to pay annual charge

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-Feb-21

The federal government has agreed to make a number of ‘technical’ changes to its media bargaining code. Amongst other things, digital platforms such as Google and Facebook will now pay news publishers an annual lump sum, rather than per click or snippet, while the requirements for them to give notice of changes to their algorithms will be simplified. Meanwhile, JPMorgan estimates that Seven West Media could gain up to $69.2m a year from its newly-struck content deal with Google. Other news publishers are also believed to be in talks with Google.

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GOOGLE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Big Tech urged to challenge virus lies

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Original article by David Swan
The Australian – Page: 19 : 25-Jan-21

A coalition that includes the Immunisation Foundation of Australia and Doherty Institute is calling on the big technology companies to do more to prevent the sharing of misinformation about COVID-19 online. The coalition is concerned this misinformation is causing a growing mistrust about potential COVID-19 vaccines and vaccines in general, along with causing a growing number of people to ignore public health directives about social distancing and lockdown measures because they see COVID-19 as being a government-led hoax.

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IMMUNISATION FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. PETER DOHERTY INSTITUTE FOR INFECTION AND IMMUNITY

Calls for big tech to unmask anonymous online abusers

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Original article by Paul Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 22-Jan-21

Changes to the Online Safety Act could see the eSafety Commissioner given new powers to seek identification behind anonymous accounts on digital platforms. Individuals could be fined up to $110,000 for abusive behaviour, while content hosts could be hit with fines up to $550,000. ESafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has urged the big technology platforms to do more to address the problems caused by anonymous accounts, with such accounts used by backers of the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon being prominently cited by members of the mob that recently attacked the US Capitol.

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Nine opposes concession to tech giants

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Original article by Max Mason, Natasha Gillezeau, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 9-Dec-20

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the federal government’s mandatory news media bargaining code for digital platforms is a "world-first". He has dismissed suggestions that the government has made too many concessions in the final version of the code to gain the support of digital giants such as Google and Facebook. These include adding a ‘two-way value exchange’ clause which reflect the benefits that news publishers receive from having digital platforms direct users to their content. A Nine Entertainment spokesman says this will merely entrench both the monopoly powers of digital companies and the unfair imbalance in media regulation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

News firms in stand for fairer future

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 19 : 23-Nov-20

Some of Australia’s top media industry executives have jointly signed an ‘open letter’ to the federal government expressing support for its proposed media bargaining code. The letter also outlines the features that must be included in the code to ensure a level playing field between traditional media companies and digital platforms such as Facebook and Google. Seven West Media CEO James Warburton, News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller and Free TV CEO Bridget Fair are amongst those who signed the letter, which will be published in all major metropolitan newspapers on 23 November.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Nearly 2.5 million Australians using TikTok – up over 850,000 (+52.4%) during first half of 2020

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 15-Oct-20

The latest Roy Morgan data shows that nearly 2.5 million Australians are using TikTok in an average four weeks – equivalent to 10.5% of the population aged 6 years and older. TikTok has grown its user base by over 850,000 (+52.4%) during the first half of 2020 to be easily the fastest growing social media company in Australia this year in terms of user growth. TikTok has a predominantly female user base, with 1.5 million women and girls now using the popular site, up over 380,000 (+34.3%) since the second half of 2019. In comparison, 985,000 men and boys now use TikTok, up more than 470,000 (+91.6%), and with male use of the service now growing faster. TikTok is also far more popular among younger Australians. Over a quarter of Australians in the youngest Generation Alpha (28%) are now using TikTok – a total of 746,000 Young Australians. Generation Alpha comprises those born from 2006 until today. There is also a significant TikTok user base among the slightly older Generation Z (born 1991-2005) with over 1,040,000 Australians (20%) in this age group now using the new short video service.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, TIKTOK

Facebook will be loser if it bans news: Sims

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 18-Sep-20

Facebook and Google would be forced to pay for news content that is posted on their platforms under the mandatory code of conduct proposed by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. Facebook has threatened to ban all news on its platform in response to the code, but ACCC chairman Rod Sims contends that such action could weaken the social media company. Sims has also rejected claims made in public campaigns by Facebook and Google that the proposed code will give news publishers access to their algorithms.

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

PM tells Google and Facebook: You’re bluffing

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 8-Sep-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told Facebook and Google that he does not give into coercion. The two technology companies are unhappy about federal government plans to make them pay news publishers for their content; Facebook has threatened to pull Australian and international content from its Facebook and Instagram platforms in response to the code, while Google has stated it will have to cull news content from search results. Morrison said he is happy to call their bluff on the issue.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Facebook says it doesn’t need news stories for its business and won’t pay to share them in Australia

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Original article by Naaman Zhou, Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 16-Jun-20

Social media company Facebook has rejected a proposal to share its advertising revenue with news publishers. The mandatory code of conduct being developed by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission would govern the relationship between media companies and digital platforms such as Facebook and Google. Facebook claims that there would be no significant impact to its income if it stopped sharing news content, while it says the revenue-sharing proposal means it would be subsidising a competitor.

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED