Google, Meta to pay for news in Indonesia

ANKARA

Indonesian President Joko Widodo signed a new law on Tuesday requiring tech giants, including Google and Meta, to pay national media for news content, reported the local media Jakarta Post.

Under the new regulations, which will come into force in August this year, Google, Meta, and other tech giants will negotiate partnerships with local media and pay for news content.

According to the report, the law requires tech platforms to prioritize news content produced by verified media outlets to curb the spreading of fake news in the country and contribute to journalist training programs.

"I signed the Presidential Decree on Publisher Rights, which regulates the responsibility of digital platforms to support quality journalism, journalism that is far from negative content, journalism that educates about Indonesia's progress," read a post on Wednesday by President Widodo on X.

He added that the government wants the sustainability of the national media industry, with fairer cooperation between press companies and digital platforms, while providing a clear general framework for collaboration between the two.

Last September, Malaysia said it is considering regulating the online digital platforms, including Meta and Google, to pay for news content in the Southeast Asian nation.

Australia and Canada also introduced laws requiring big online digital companies to pay their local media organizations for the local news content on their feeds.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid