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New Zealand plans law to require Facebook and Google to pay for news

The New Zealand government has announced plans to adopt legislation requiring major internet publishers, including Google (Alphabet Inc.) and Meta Platforms Inc., to compensate New Zealand media firms for the local news material that appears in their feeds.

Willie Jackson, the minister of broadcasting, said in a statement on Sunday that he hoped the legislation, which will be modelled after rules in Australia and Canada, would serve as an incentive for the internet platforms to strike agreements with local news organisations.

“New Zealand news media, particularly small regional and community newspapers, are struggling to remain financially viable as more advertising moves online,” Jackson stated. “It is critical that those benefiting from their news content actually pay for it.”

The new legislation will be put to a vote in parliament, where it is anticipated that the majority of the ruling Labour Party would approve it. In 2021, Australia passed legislation giving the government the authority to force internet service providers to negotiate content supply agreements with media outlets. It mostly worked, according to an evaluation published by the Australian government this week.

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