With a federal election looming in September, the news media industry is cautiously optimistic it will soon see the return of a bill forcing digital giants like Facebook and Google to pay news outlets for using their online content. The option would see big tech companies forced to make deals with news companies and pay a percentage of certain costs, negotiating directly but under the watchful eye of an arbitrator. “There seems to be a groundswell around the world,” Deegan said, of countries looking at big tech from privacy, competition and other perspectives. Though he doesn’t think the news media bill will be “a topic of any tension” during the upcoming federal election, he does think it will be an urgent post-election issue for the industry. “If the government was serious about taking on big tech ... it would establish a harmonized set of principles for privacy and personal data protection,” said Winseck.

Source: thestar August 14, 2021 11:37 UTC