Mark Zuckerberg
Photographer: Marlene Awaad / Bloomberg
Photographer: Marlene Awaad / Bloomberg
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s meeting with Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg last week failed to resolve the dispute between the social media giant and the country over proposed changes to media laws.
“Mark Zuckerberg didn’t convince me to retire if you asked me to,” Frydenberg told Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s “Insiders” program on Sunday. The billionaire “got to talk about the code and the impact on Facebook” in what the treasurer called “a very constructive discussion.”
Technology giants from Facebook to Google Alphabet Inc. they fought with Australian MPs over the proposed legislation requiring them to pay for the use of media content. The new laws are designed to support the local media industry, including Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., which has struggled to adapt to the digital economy.
Facebook has threatened to prevent Australians from sharing news on its platform if the law is promoted, while Google has said it could remove the search engine entirely from the Australian market.
Frydenberg said on Sunday that while he does not reject Google’s threats, he is not “intimidated” by them either.
Australia says Google will “inevitably” have to pay for the news
“We are in detailed discussions with Google, with Facebook, with the other players in the industry, because this was not a short conversation we had with these companies,” he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison also spoke with Microsoft Corp. CEO Satya Nadella about the proposed changes, Frydenberg said.
“Every step of the way, these businesses have been consulted,” the treasurer said. “What I do know is that media companies should be paid for content.”
Google is threatening to remove the search as the Australian line gets deeper