Meta ills extend beyond the news

It is now clear that policymakers must act swiftly to steer social media company Meta back within the norms of accepted business behaviour and force it to deliver on its social responsibilities across its various platforms. Paying for media content is only part of the story. Reneging on an agreement struck with publishers to pay for news has increased the scrutiny on how Meta, along with other social media outlets, can act as a conduit for misinformation and enable a smorgasbord of various types of anti-social behaviour. This extends to bullying of vulnerable young people, promoting fake news that can allow foreign powers to interfere in the democratic process and providing a marketplace for illicit drugs and other illegal activities.

Australian politicians are not alone in grappling with how to combat the negative side of social media that has become ubiquitous in the lives of many. But the Albanese government has an opportunity to draw a line and set an example for others to follow. Within the bounds of commercial confidence, news publishers are co-operating with a request from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission to describe their dealings with Meta regarding news content since March 2021. The ACCC wants to know what would happen if Meta blocked news entirely, as the company did from Facebook and Instagram in Canada on August 1 last year. The decision in Canada has real-world consequences that clearly are against the public interest. In a year notable for the large number of democratic elections across the globe, removing trusted sources of information from its newsfeeds exposes Meta’s Canadian users to manipulation. By taking the action it has, Meta has demonstrated its contempt for the places in which it operates.

Meta’s business model is to distribute content created by others and profit from its distribution by selling advertising. It has been the determination of publishers to demand that Meta operate like any other business and pay for the business inputs it uses to make a profit that has put a spotlight on the company’s abuse of market power.

Holding Meta to account on news must be only part of the challenge for policymakers. The Albanese government must quickly designate Meta and trigger the provisions of the News Media Bargaining Code to force the digital platforms to negotiate with news publishers for the use of news content on the platforms. It must then set about ensuring that Meta take responsibility for the power it is able to exert over its millions of ordinary users.