Microsoft President calls on Biden administration to adopt Australia's proposed media bargaining code

News 12 Feb 2021 -

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Tags: Microsoft google Facebook, Google, ACCC, competition, data, privacy media bargaining code news media bargaining code Brad Smith

Microsoft President Brad Smith has reiterated the technology firm’s stance on Australia’s proposed media bargaining code, urging the Biden administration to adopt the same approach in the US.

What you need to know:

Microsoft President leans on US government to adopt media bargaining code
Proposed code could be legilated on next week in Australia
Microsoft keen to lobby other countries to follow Australia's lead

Microsoft President Brad Smith has reiterated the technology firm’s stance on Australia’s proposed media bargaining code, urging the Biden administration to adopt the same approach in the US.

Smith is appealing for the US to take Australia’s lead, which could see government passing legislation as early as next Tuesday.

“Facebook and Google persuaded the Trump administration to object to Australia’s proposal,” said Smith. “However, as the United States takes stock of the events on January 6, it’s time to widen the aperture.”

His calls, made public in a blog posted this morning, follow a discussion between Smith and the firm’s CEO Satya Nadella with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher just over a week ago in which the “power imbalance” between digital platforms and Australian news businesses was addressed.

The world-fist legislation will bring with it measures that would force the likes of Google and Facebook to pay compensation to media companies.

Smith’s announcement, which the company says acts as “a fully-fledged endorsement”, came off the back of press enquiries as to whether Microsoft would extend its lobbying efforts to other countries.

“The short answer is yes,” said Smith, adding: “The legislation will redress the economic imbalance between technology and journalism by mandating negotiations between these tech gatekeepers and independent news organizations. The goal is to provide the news organizations with compensation for the benefit derived by tech gatekeepers from the inclusion of news content on their platforms.”