Meta’s dangerous playbook to be exposed, as Labor establishes a committee to probe tech giant
The decision by tech giant Meta to abandon payment-for-content deals with news outlets, and its failure to monitor publishing of harmful and illegal material, will be the focus of a federal parliamentary inquiry.
The decision by tech giant Meta to abandon payment-for-content deals with news outlets, and its failure to monitor publishing of harmful and illegal material on its social media platforms, will be the focus of a federal parliamentary inquiry.
The Albanese government will establish a joint parliamentary select committee to investigate the consequences of Meta walking away from its financial deals with news media companies, and the impact that decision will have on Australian society.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the vital role social media companies played had allowed the behemoths, including Meta, to have “enormous reach and control over what Australians see, with little to no scrutiny”.
“In our democracy, it is imperative that Australians have access to quality public interest journalism, including on social media,” Ms Rowland said. “Unilateral decisions to undermine news hurts us all. Social media companies have social responsibilities.
“They need to be more accountable and transparent.
“Parliament needs to understand how social media companies dial up and down the content that supports healthy democracies, as well as the anti-social content that undermines public safety.”
The committee will closely examine the decision by Meta – the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – to abandon the news deals with media outlets including News Corporation (publisher of The Australian), Nine Entertainment (publisher of The Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age), Seven West Media and Network Ten.
The federal government is waiting on advice from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission and Treasury to determine whether it can or should designate Meta under the news bargaining media code, and force Meta to negotiate payments to news outlets for use of their content on their platforms.
The committee is also expected to report on the vital role of Australian journalism, news and public interest journalism in helping counter misinformation and disinformation on digital platforms.
Other issues in relation to harmful or illegal content disseminated over social media – including scams, age-restricted content, child sexual abuse and violent extremist material – will also be subjected to scrutiny.
The impact that damaging content can have on Australians’ mental health will be another focus of the committee.
Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones said while there were benefits to social media, it could also be dangerous. “Social media is a great way for people to connect, it’s become a part of everyday life for many people,” he said.
“But users are also exposed to harm in an environment where it can be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.”
Mr Jones also criticised the tech giants for diminishing the ability of Australians to access credible news and information.
“The social media giants seem more determined to wipe trusted news sources from their platforms than scammers and other criminals,” he said. “This will open the floodgates for misinformation and disinformation. We have a clear message for the platforms. Be better. Do better.
“The committee will put big tech under the microscope to help create a safer online environment”.
On February 29, Meta announced it would not be renewing its payment-for-content deals with Australian news publishers, and justified the move by claiming that the number of people using Facebook News in Australia and the US had dropped by more than 80 per cent in 2023.
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