KUALA LUMPUR – Meta Platforms does not intend to pay news publishers in Indonesia for content they voluntarily post, despite President Joko Widodo signing a new law on Tuesday.
Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia, Rafael Frankel, confirmed this after multiple rounds of consultations with the government, which applies to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
“We understand Meta will not be required to pay for news content that publishers voluntarily post to our platforms.”
He said the content shared on Meta’s platform was posted by the publishers and not by the social media giant for profit.
The law Widodo signed, which takes effect in six months, stipulates that digital platforms and news publishers should strike partnerships, which could be paid licences, revenue sharing or data sharing.
It was also aimed at levelling the playing field between the media industry and tech giants.
“The spirit of the regulation is… to ensure fair cooperation between media and digital platforms and provide a clearer cooperation framework between them,” he said.
A committee would be formed to ensure digital platforms fulfil their responsibilities to media companies
Earlier, Google said it would review the regulation, but reiterated that it has worked with the government to build a sustainable news ecosystem in Indonesia.
Australia has led the way with its News Media Bargaining Code that took effect in March 2021, which saw Meta and Google sign deals with media organisations to compensate them for content that generates advertising dollars. – February 23, 2024