Reply to post: If I may nitpick for a moment...

To stop web giants abusing privacy, they must be prevented from respawning. Ever

canthinkofagoodname

If I may nitpick for a moment...

From the article:

"even plucky Australia has thrown its hat into the ring, empowering its competition regulator to claw back some of hundreds of billions of dollars a year in revenues hoovered by the pair."

That's not entirely accurate; the Fed Gov of Australia, through the ACCC's News Media Bargaining Code following the recommendations of the Digital Platform Inquiry (2017), is attempting to level the amount of bargaining power between named Digital Platforms (Google and Facebook for now, but the Treasurer will have the power under the code to declare more Digital Platforms subject to the code) and registered news media businesses (the code lists the thresholds to be met to be eligible for that) for "use of media content",or words to that effect.

Ack it's not explicitly stated in the article, but the inference I drew from that statement is the Gov is clawing back revenue to the Gov coffers - this is not the case. Should the code pass (highly likely), the money will be going to registered news businesses. The Gov may get a cut of that in tax (operative word being may), but that's it. Important to note that if this were tax related, it would not be within the ACCC's remit to address anyway; that's for the ATO and lawmakers to work through.

I would also point out there's a fair amount of discontent in Australia at present as related to the media; specifically the Murdoch / Nine-Fairfax oligopoly. And, while I cannot quantify the prevalence of the view, there are those (myself included) who think this measure has less to do with curbing Digital Platforms and more to do with shoring up Murdoch / Nine-Fairfax. Even with politics aside, there is a lot wrong with the code from policy, practical, and technical perspectives.

See title. I am nitpicking, but I would caution against including the Australian Government's current attempts to regulate Digital Platforms from a competition perspective with the US attempts from an anti-trust perspective. Two very different issues, and very different approaches.

Just my 2 cents, take it as you will.

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon