Australia has expanded its demand that Big Tech companies pay for news content, raising the proposed charge from just over two percent to two and a half percent of digital advertising revenue, Bloomberg reported on Saturday. The updated bill also widens the scope to include professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn. The revenue threshold now targets companies earning at least A$250 million specifically from digital advertising through search or social media services in Australia.
Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino said the changes followed industry consultation on draft legislation that closed in May.
The original draft, unveiled in April, set the rate at 2.25 percent and targeted Meta, Google, and TikTok. The revised version raises that rate by a quarter of a percentage point and extends coverage to professional networking platforms, a category that would bring Microsoft-owned LinkedIn under the scheme for the first time.
The expansion to professional platforms marks a notable shift. The April draft focused on social media and search services, but the updated legislation broadens the definition to capture platforms where news content circulates among professional audiences. The move acknowledges that news distribution is not confined to consumer social feeds.
