Big tech and social media corporations should pay their fair share back to the communities they profit from, including for public interest journalism, according to the Greens and a Parliamentary Select Committee Report into Social Media.
The Greens are calling on the Government to stand up to tech giants like Meta and protect media diversity and public interest journalism in Australia via comprehensive regulatory reform. In additional comments the Greens are calling for an overhaul of ACMA powers, and the implementation of the News Media Assistance Program.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens Spokesperson for Communications:
“A strong, diverse and trusted news media sector is essential for a strong and robust democracy. Australia needs to urgently address the lack of trust and sustainability of quality public interest journalism if we are to protect ourselves from the rampant disinformation and politics of division we are witnessing in the United States.
“Independent public interest journalism is a public good, but more is needed than just short term funding and grant programs.
“It’s clear that comprehensive digital and media reform is well overdue in Australia and we need stronger laws that deal with the toxic business model of these big tech corporations.
“It’s time for the Albanese Government to make these companies pay their fair share back to the communities they are profiting from, and too often, harming. We’ve seen this in countries like France and Canada and it should be part of the solution to fund the public interest journalism that’s been gutted by the tech giants.
“We also need greater transparency over how these companies use their algorithms and the data of everyday users.
“We need to fund quality, public interest journalism in Australia and ensure that a diversity of publishers, especially small, medium, regional and independent media are supported.
“ACMA’s powers are not fit for purpose in a digital age and comprehensive reform in this area is well overdue.
“A Commission of Inquiry into media regulation and diversity including the damaging impact the Murdoch media empire is having on our democracy is also warranted.
“While this is the first report of this inquiry, focused on the news media bargaining code and journalism support, the final report of the inquiry will deal with the harms of social media and the need for regulating the big tech giants.
“Labor & the Liberals should back the Greens’ call for a ban on big tech corporations harvesting the data of young people and targeting them with advertising and dangerous algorithms. The business model of collecting, selling and exploiting young people’s data to make massive profits must stop.”
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