Meta believes it is not required to pay for Indonesia news content posted voluntarily

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Facebook parent Meta Platforms on Thursday, February 22, said it believes that a new Indonesia law does not require it to pay news publishers for content they voluntarily post to its platforms.

Indonesia’s president this week signed into law a requirement that digital platforms pay media outlets that provide them with content. It is due to take effect in six months.

“Following multiple rounds of consultations with the government, we understand Meta will not be required to pay for news content that publishers voluntarily post to our platforms,” said Rafael Frankel, Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia.

The law stipulates that digital platforms and news publishers should strike partnerships that could take the form of paid licenses, revenue sharing, or data sharing but much remains unclear about how these new agreements will work in practice.

Governments around the world have long been concerned about what they see as a power imbalance between digital platforms and publishers of news and other content.

Australia has led the way with its News Media Bargaining Code that took effect in March 2021. Meta and Google have since signed deals with media outlets that compensate them for content that generates clicks and advertising dollars. – Rappler.com