Prime Minister Scott Morrison has discussed media regulations with Indian PM Narendra Modi in the light of Facebook’s stand to block Australian and international news content to Australian users. The move is not only unusual but holds significance as India has also been contemplating legislation to regulate social media.
“I was speaking to Narendra Modi yesterday. We were talking about a whole range of other issues, as you'd expect us to. But this is one issue we discussed because there's a lot of interest in it. People are looking at what Australia is doing,” the prime minister said, while briefing the media on his virtual meeting with Mr Modi.
Last week, social media giant Facebook blocked news content from various Australian media outlets on its platform in retaliation to the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code Bill 2020. According to this bill, platforms like Google and Facebook would have to pay for the local news agencies for their content.
“There is a lot of world interest in what Australia is doing. And so that's why I, I invite, as we did with Google, Facebook, to constructively engage because, you know, they know that what Australia will do here is likely to be followed by many other Western jurisdictions,” PM Morrison further said.
This tussle between the Australian government and Facebook has garnered global interest, as it might set the course of future negotiations for the online autonomy of private players worldwide.
Mr Morrison also mentioned that along with the Indian Prime Minister, he has also reached out to French President Emmanuel Macron, British PM Boris Johnson and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.
“I've had these exchanges also with Prime Minister Trudeau, and I know Prime Minister Johnson is very interested. I've spoken to President Macron about these things, in the same way we talk about that they should pay tax too. And we discuss that a lot,” his statement said.
The statement further read, “What Australia will do here is likely to be followed by many other Western jurisdictions. And Prime Minister Trudeau has made that exact point. They're already going down this path and they're looking precisely at it now, you know, I suspect by the time the G7 and the G20 comes around, I suspect this issue will be long addressed. So I don't think, I haven't made any suggestion that I'd be taking it up in those forums. (sic)”
Mr Morrison says he believes that the issue would be long resolved before the forums like G7 and G20 convene. He has expressed his perturbance at the social media giant “unfriending” Australia, saying, “it is time for them to friend us again.”
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