As reported by ABC News, the federal government of Australia has ordered its competition commission to draw up a mandatory code of conduct for oversight of business deals between tech companies and news organizations. This code will also include rules on paying news outlets for using their content on platforms such as Google and Facebook. [Read : Coronavirus: F1 engineers and academics produced new breathing aid design in under 10 days] Last year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) was in the process of forming a voluntary code to create a level-playing field between tech giants and media companies. However, the ACCC later advised the government that a voluntary code might not convince tech companies to pay for content. According to the government’s treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, this new mandatory code will bring parity between the two industries. In a statement, the managing director of Facebook Australia and New Zealand, Will Easton, said the company is disappointed by the government’s announcement: The company added that it was working with publishers to submit a draft of a voluntary code by May. Google said in a statement that it has engaged with more than 25 publishers in the country on a voluntary code: The government is planning to release a draft version of the code for consultation by July.
