# Facebook's small sacrifice to Australia helps keep empire intact | Tech News (HT Tech) > In a high-stakes gambit, Facebook blocked the sharing of news links in Australia and from Australian publishers, sapping traffic to their websites and putting pressure on the government to soften its proposed legislation. # Facebook's small sacrifice to Australia helps keep empire intact ## In a high-stakes gambit, Facebook blocked the sharing of news links in Australia and from Australian publishers, sapping traffic to their websites and putting pressure on the government to soften its proposed legislation. Aug 21 2022, 15:16 IST ![Follow on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/follow-us-facebook.png) ![Follow on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/follow-us-facebook-hover.png) ![Share](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Share.png) ![Share](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Shareclicked.png) ![Share on WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/whatsapp.png) ![Share on WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/whatsapp-hover.png) ![Share on Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/twitter.png) ![Share on Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/twitter-hover.png) ![Share on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/facebook.png) ![Share on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/facebook-hover.png) ![Bookmark](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Bookmark.png) ![Bookmarked](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Bookmarked.png) ![The last-minute compromise means Google and Facebook have avoided what they feared most -- forced arbitration that would dictate how much they pay publishers.](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/img/2021/02/25/1600x900/facebook-1903445_1920_1614261609814_1614261617422.jpg) The last-minute compromise means Google and Facebook have avoided what they feared most -- forced arbitration that would dictate how much they pay publishers. (Pixabay) ![Author Photo](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/HTTech-new-circle-logo.png) ### By BLOOMBERG Australia on Thursday passed a world-first law aimed at forcing Google and Facebook to pay for news. But after a forceful intervention from the world’s biggest social network, the reality is Silicon Valley’s titans are paying a small price for cementing their influence over the media industry. In a high-stakes gambit, Facebook blocked the sharing of news links in Australia and from Australian publishers, sapping traffic to their websites and putting pressure on the government to soften its proposed legislation. Lawmakers did exactly that, and while it’s too early to declare a clear winner from the confrontation, Facebook is walking away satisfied that it didn’t have to cede too much ground. The last-minute compromise means Google and Facebook have avoided what they feared most -- forced arbitration that would dictate how much they pay publishers. Instead they get to choose which commercial deals to pursue, and will only face arbitration as a last resort. Also read click here. While the threat of legislation has forced the tech giants to the table, the concessions mean Facebook can essentially follow a template it’s already used in the US and UK, and pay Australian publishers to populate its News tab. Also Read: Australia passes law to make Google, Facebook pay for news In a blog post celebrating the compromise, Facebook Vice President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg said the company plans to spend $1 billion globally over the next three years supporting the news industry. Analysts say such deals will likely favor the top end of town, with smaller publishers missing out. “It does now seem to be a law without a pointy end,” said Belinda Barnet, a senior lecturer in media at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. “If you’re a small outlet and your news appears in someone’s Facebook feed, there doesn’t appear to be a legal obligation for the company to pay. It seems that the big Australian media companies have been taken care of but it remains to be seen if Facebook will feel compelled to do deals with smaller news providers.” Australia’s government started with a stark take-it-or-leave-it stance for US internet giants to share revenue with local media, and Google has indeed struck a series of multiyear deals with publishers like News Corp. But Facebook has consistently argued that news and media content on its platform is voluntarily shared by its users and the publishers themselves, so it shouldn’t be charged for the practice. Also Read: Facebook faces a year of reckoning after showdown in Australia The government’s concession leaves open the question of how smaller publishers will fare under the law. The country’s Public Interest Journalism Initiative warns of “unintended consequences by allowing any small to medium media outlets to fall through a gap,” owing in part to “a lack of sufficient expertise in complex negotiations with digital platforms.” Both Facebook and the Australian government have spoken of the need to preserve and promote smaller journalistic organisations, without detailing concrete steps. There’s no doubt the law has “changed a conversation from technical, legal considerations to a much more holistic view of what is going on online and in the sharing of that pool of revenue that is generated by advertising,” said Daniel Gervais, a professor of law at Vanderbilt University. At the heart of the dispute is the distribution of online ad dollars. “There is only so much online income available for everybody,” Gervais said. In acceding to pay some news publishers, and securing for itself the freedom to choose which ones, Facebook is making a small sacrifice to keep its larger ad empire intact. The company had more than $85 billion in revenue last year, almost all of it coming from online advertising. Its net income in the fourth quarter alone was sufficient to fund 10 of the billion-dollar three-year plans the company has announced. Australia sought to and succeeded in nudging the platforms to share a slice of the revenue. And while the law may not be as tough as originally intended, it sets a model that other global regulators may seek to emulate as they continue efforts to curb the market power of Google and Facebook. Australia’s Treasury department will review the new law within one year to ensure it is working as intended. Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel. 25 Feb, 19:31 IST facebook google ![HT Tech Awards](https://tech.hindustantimes.com/ht-tech-power-list-awards-2026/httech-awards-banner-new.webp) ### Related Stories 07 Oct 2026 71,614,261,297,638 NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS ![View all](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/view-all-icon.png) ## Tips & Tricks ![Ghibli-style art](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/img/2025/03/28/414x233/ChatGPT_Ghibli_style_images_1743161814450_1743161814596.jpg) ### How to turn your photos into Ghibli-style art with ChatGPT for free: Step-by-step guide ![How to create an invitation using iPhone’s new Apple Invites app- Step-by-step guide](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/img/2025/02/14/414x233/invites_1738728829564_1739543695649.png) ### How to create an invitation using iPhone’s new Apple Invites app- Step-by-step guide ![Apple TV app arrives on Android phones and tablets: What you get and how to install it](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/img/2025/02/13/414x233/unnamed_1739426557335_1739426567634.jpg) ### Apple TV app arrives on Android phones and tablets: What you get and how to install it ![Vodafone Idea OTT plans](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Vodafone Idea users can now stream 17 OTT apps with one subscription: Here's how ![Android data transfer methods](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### How to transfer data from one Android to another using Google backup, USB-C cable, and more ## Editor’s Pick ![iPhone 16e launched with A18 chip, Apple AI—bringing flagship power on a budget: Check specs, price](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### iPhone 16e launched in India: All details about the new budget mobile from Apple ![DeepSeek was founded in China with only a fraction of the budget of the top AI companies in the US.](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### DeepSeek AI: How it works, who’s behind it, how it’s different from ChatGPT, and its big US market impact explained ![iPhone 17 Air likely to get this feature that iPhone 17 Pro models may miss out on](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### iPhone 17 Air likely to get this feature that iPhone 17 Pro models may miss out on ![Google Whisk AI explained: How remixing works, availability, and how it differs from Gemini](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Google Whisk AI explained: How remixing works, availability, and how it differs from Gemini ![iOS 18.4 beta arriving soon: Know why it is the biggest iPhone update](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### iOS 18.4 beta arriving soon: Know why it is the biggest iPhone update ## Trending Stories ![Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order ![Infinix Note 50s 5G+](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Infinix Note 50s 5G+ set to launch in India with 64MP camera and MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC ![Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more ![Apple Intelligence AI training](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Apple plans to train AI using your on-device data without accessing personal content or emails: Report ![CMF Buds 2](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### CMF Buds 2 key features and price revealed ahead of April 28 launch: Details inside keep up with tech ![Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-facebook.png) ![Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-twitter.png) ![WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-whatsApp.png) ![Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-facebook.png) ## Gaming ![Check out these five gaming monitors under ₹20,000,](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Top 5 gaming monitors under ₹20000 you should consider ![gaming consoles](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Grab gaming consoles at discounted rates during Amazon Great Indian Festival: Up to 72% off ![Pokémon GO Wild Area 2025](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Pokémon GO Wild Area 2025 to bring Grimmsnarl family, Shiny Hatenna, and global challenges ![Shade Silver](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Shade Silver free on Steam for a limited time: Here’s how to get it ![Call of duty](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 skips Switch 2 at launch, release date and price leak ![View all](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/view-all-icon.png) ## Trending News ### Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order ![Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### Infinix Note 50s 5G+ set to launch in India with 64MP camera and MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC ![Infinix Note 50s 5G+](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more ![Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### Apple plans to train AI using your on-device data without accessing personal content or emails: Report ![Apple Intelligence AI training](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### CMF Buds 2 key features and price revealed ahead of April 28 launch: Details inside ![CMF Buds 2](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ## Trending Gadgets Mobiles Laptops Tablets ![HT Tech](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/HT_tech-new.gif) - https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/facebooks-small-sacrifice-to-australia-helps-keep-empire-intact-71614261297638.html