Washington — The Australian government has announced that the Australian Competition and Consumers Commission (ACCC) has released its draft Mandatory News Media Bargaining Code of Conduct that regulates digital platforms´ commercial relationships with Australian media companies. The Australian Government has decided that these new regulations will only be applicable to Google and Facebook.
The Computer and Communications Industry Association offered comments to the ACCC in June saying a mandatory news media bargaining code could raise antitrust, copyright and trade concerns. The following can be attributed to CCIA President Matt Schruers:
“The ACCC’s recently released draft regulation will impose discriminatory burdens exclusively on two American companies and would not apply equally to other companies operating in Australia. This draft regulation would distort competition in the Australian market, and increase trade asymmetries at a global level.”