News Media Bargaining Code passes through House of Representatives as Seven West Media strike deal with Google

World-first laws which force tech giants to pay media companies for the content they profit off have officially been introduced to Parliament. This evening the News Media Bargaining Code passed through the House of Representatives, moving the Bill to the Senate. It comes as major media companies including Seven West Media, the publisher of The West Australian, have struck deals with Google. The News Media Bargaining Code will introduce laws which mean Google and Facebook will face fines if they do not compensate media companies for their content. On Wednesday Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said new deals struck by Seven West Media and Nine with Google would help secure the future of Australian journalism. “It’s my understanding that the other media businesses are making very significant progress and that we will have more announcements in the coming days,” Mr Frydenberg said. “This is a historic moment; a world first. The digital giants entering into negotiations and agreements with Australian news media businesses to pay for original content. “This will help sustain public interest journalism in this country for years to come.”Asked whether the deals made the new laws redundant, Mr Frydenberg said they would not be happening if there was not legislation before Parliament. “This legislation, this world-leading mandatory code, is bringing the parties to the table and is helping to pave a way forward where news media businesses are getting paid for generating original journalistic content,” Mr Frydenberg said. He said it was important the code became law to ensure that it was mandatory tech giants strike deals with media companies. Asked whether the code would now just apply to Facebook given Google was reaching agreements with media companies, Mr Frydenberg said he did not want to “pre-empt any decisions”. “But what I have said is if commercial deals are in place, then it changes the equation,” he said.