News Journalism Payments Bill 2026

Summary

This legislation requires digital platforms like Google and Facebook to pay news organisations when their content appears on those platforms, creating a new financial relationship between tech companies and publishers. It likely amends the Competition and Consumer Act or introduces entirely new rules governing how platforms must negotiate payments with news outlets. The change addresses the problem that news organisations lose advertising revenue when their articles are shared on social media and search engines, while those platforms profit from the traffic and advertising that comes with hosting news content.

What happens at this stage

The main debate on whether the chamber supports the broad purpose of the bill. Members speak to its overall merits and concerns rather than the fine print. The government outlines its policy intentions; the opposition and crossbench put their case. This is the stage that determines whether the bill proceeds at all.

Next: Consideration in Detail (House) or Committee of the Whole (Senate), where the bill is examined clause by clause