New Delhi: The Indian government is planning to make Big Tech pay publishers to access their content on their respective platforms, as other countries aim to create a revenue-sharing bridge between internet companies like Google and Facebook, and digital news publishers. .
According to Rajiv Chandrashekhar, Minister of State for IT and Electronics, the government is contemplating amending the IT laws to implement this change. (Also read: PM Kisan 12th installment may be released in the beneficiary’s accounts on September 1, see the latest update here)
“The market power over digital advertising that is currently being exercised by Big Tech giants, which puts Indian media companies at a disadvantage, is an issue that needs to be seriously examined in the context of new legalization and regulations. going,” said the minister. The Times of India. (Also read: HDFC Bank Q1 net profit jumps 21% to Rs 9,579 crore)
If implemented, the new law would force Big Tech companies to pay digital news publishers a portion of the revenue earned by using their original content.
Google has already signed deals to pay more than 300 publishers to use its content on its platform in Germany, France and other EU countries.
The Canadian government also enacted a law earlier this year to bring fairness to revenue sharing between digital news publishers and intermediary platforms.
In March this year, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) ordered an inquiry into complaints against Google for abusing its dominant position in the Indian online news media market relating to news referral services and Google edtech services.
According to the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), media houses are being kept in the dark on the total advertising revenue collected by Google and what percentage of advertising revenue is being transferred to media organizations.
The CCI observed that prima facie, these allegations of abuse of key position are within the purview of the Competition Act, 2002 and require detailed investigation by the Additional Director General.