The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released a concepts paper seeking views to how to developing a draft mandatory code to address bargaining power imbalances between Australia’s news media businesses and giant platforms like Google and Facebook.
The ACCC’s paper sets out a range of issues for which the Commission is seeking feedback and information:- what should be included in the draft bargaining code, how particular issues should be addressed, and how the code should operate.
Chair of the ACCC, Rod Sims said he was keen to tap views on all the issues and ideas involved with the code.
“Given the tight timeframe, we are seeking precise views on the content of the code and this concepts paper will facilitate this,” Mr Sims said.
“Our digital platforms inquiry highlighted the acute need to address the imbalance in bargaining position between news media and particular digital platforms, and that is what the code will do.”
The Government announced in April that it had directed the ACCC to develop a mandatory code of conduct to address bargaining power imbalances between Australian news media businesses and digital platforms.
The Government asked that a draft mandatory code be released for public consultation before the end of July, with a final code to be settled soon after.
Submissions in response to the concepts paper close on 5 June.
The 32-page concept paper can be accessed at this PS News link.
