Australia’s Plan to Make Tech Pay for News w/ Lizzie O’Shea

Paris Marx is joined by Lizzie O’Shea to discuss how Australia’s plan to make Google and Facebook pay news publishers entrenches a data-extractive business model and aligns the interests of tech giants and media companies against those of the public.

Lizzie O’Shea is a human rights lawyer and the founder of Digital Rights Watch. She’s also the author of “Future Histories: What Ada Lovelace, Tom Paine, and the Paris Commune Can Teach Us about Digital Technology.” Follow Lizzie on Twitter as @Lizzie_OShea.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Lizzie wrote about the problems with this plan for Overland Journal • and Nikkei Asia • . • Paris wrote about why we shouldn’t link big tech and news giants • for Tribune Magazine. • Facebook restricted news sharing • in Australia, while Google has signed deals with News Corp • , Nine Entertainment • , Seven West Media • , and more for its News Showcase. • Australia has among the most concentrated media ownership • in the world. Former prime ministers Kevin Rudd • and Malcolm Turnbull • called for a royal commission on Rupert Murdoch’s media empire. • Australia’s competition regulator released a digital platforms report • with recommendations that included the bargaining code in 2019. Canada • and the European Union • may copy Australia’s model. French publishers • are already getting paid by Google.

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