Sydney, Australia | 3 August 2026 – The Australian Government has announced significant updates to its proposed News Bargaining Incentive, reinforcing its commitment to safeguarding the future of public interest journalism and ensuring that global digital platforms contribute fairly to Australia’s news ecosystem.
Under the revised proposal, the levy imposed on eligible technology companies that fail to negotiate commercial agreements with Australian news publishers has been increased from 2.25% to 2.5%. The adjustment is designed to maintain the expected level of financial support for Australia’s media sector while aligning the charge more closely with companies’ advertising businesses.
In a notable revision to the original proposal, the levy will now be calculated solely on a company’s Australian advertising revenue, rather than its total business revenue. The government believes this approach creates a more targeted and balanced framework while ensuring that major digital platforms continue to make meaningful contributions to the sustainability of independent journalism.
The legislation will apply to companies operating significant social media or search services in Australia with annual local revenues exceeding A$250 million, bringing global technology firms such as Meta, Google, TikTok, and LinkedIn within the scope of the new framework. The removal of the previous exemption for professional networking platforms means LinkedIn will also be required to comply with the new bargaining regime.
All funds generated through the levy will be directed toward strengthening Australia’s news media industry, helping publishers invest in quality journalism, newsroom operations, regional reporting, and the production of trusted public-interest news.
Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino stated that the revised structure ensures the levy remains closely linked to advertising revenues while preserving the government’s objective of encouraging technology companies to negotiate fair commercial agreements with Australian media organizations rather than paying the levy.
“The charge-base for the News Bargaining Incentive will be advertising revenue. We’ve increased the charge rate to ensure the overall amount raised through agreements remains strong while allowing contributions to grow alongside advertising revenues.”
The Australian Government is expected to introduce the legislation when Parliament reconvenes later this month. If enacted, the measure will further strengthen Australia’s position as a global leader in developing regulatory frameworks that promote a sustainable digital news marketplace and ensure that technology platforms appropriately compensate publishers whose content drives user engagement on their services.
The initiative builds on Australia’s ongoing efforts to create a fairer relationship between digital platforms and news organizations, while protecting media diversity, supporting local journalism, and ensuring Australians continue to have access to reliable, high-quality news in an increasingly digital world.
