Trump wants ‘fair treatment’ in fight over Labor’s levy on tech giants to pay for news, US trade group warns
Guardian AU
•Tue, 04 Aug 2026 07:06:24 GMT
📰 What Happened
A major US trade body, the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), has criticised the Albanese government's plan to expand Australia's News Bargaining Incentive (NBI) to include Microsoft's LinkedIn, issuing a veiled warning that US president Donald Trump wants 'fair treatment' amid rising trade tensions between Washington and Canberra, including newly increased tariffs on Australian goods. Meanwhile, Australian competition experts argue the government has not gone far enough to support news outlets, and that excluding AI platforms from the levy is a major flaw.
🔍 The Backstory
Australia pioneered requiring large technology platforms to pay news publishers for content, first through the News Media Bargaining Code and then the News Bargaining Incentive. The measure is seen as a template for other countries seeking to fund journalism. Relations between the US and Australia have become strained over tariffs and trade policy, complicating the levy's rollout.
🎯 Why It Matters
The dispute sits at the intersection of global big-tech regulation, the financial viability of news media, and US-Australia trade diplomacy. Extending the levy to more platforms would force additional companies to fund Australian journalism, but the country risks US retaliation in a period of heightened trade tensions. The exclusion of AI platforms also points to a gap as AI products increasingly siphon value from publisher content.
A major US trade body, the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), has criticised the Albanese government's plan to expand Australia's News Bargaining Incentive (NBI) to include Microsoft's LinkedIn, issuing a veiled warning that US president Donald Trump wants 'fair treatment' amid rising trade tensions between Washington and Canberra, including newly increased tariffs on Australian goods. Meanwhile, Australian competition experts argue the government has not gone far enough to support news outlets, and that excluding AI platforms from the levy is a major flaw.
Australia pioneered requiring large technology platforms to pay news publishers for content, first through the News Media Bargaining Code and then the News Bargaining Incentive. The measure is seen as a template for other countries seeking to fund journalism. Relations between the US and Australia have become strained over tariffs and trade policy, complicating the levy's rollout.
The dispute sits at the intersection of global big-tech regulation, the financial viability of news media, and US-Australia trade diplomacy. Extending the levy to more platforms would force additional companies to fund Australian journalism, but the country risks US retaliation in a period of heightened trade tensions. The exclusion of AI platforms also points to a gap as AI products increasingly siphon value from publisher content.