Google’s and Facebook’s loud appeal to users over the news media bargaining code shows a lack of political power
Perhaps Facebook and Google wouldn’t be in the situation they are, James Meese contends in this crossposting from The Conversation, if they had spent more time on their smaller markets to begin with.
Over the past few weeks, Google and Facebook have engaged in desperate attempts to avoid regulation under the Australian government’s proposed mandatory news media bargaining code.
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg even appealed to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher personally last week, hoping to shift the government’s hard stance.
Both platforms’ strategies have involved a mixture of user-focused advertising, political lobbying, and even threats to pull services from Australia.
