US Senate Panel Approves Bill Empowering News Organisations to Negotiate With Facebook, Google for Revenue

News and broadcast organisations have criticised Big Tech platforms for using content to attract traffic and ad revenue without fairly compensating publishers.

By Reuters | Updated: 23 September 2022 13:35 IST

US Senate Panel Approves Bill Empowering News Organisations to Negotiate With Facebook, Google for Revenue

Opposing the bill are two technology industry trade groups that Facebook and Google belong to

Highlights

The bill passed the committee by a vote of 15 to 7
The bill is aimed at giving news and broadcast organisations more clout
The bill hit a speed bump earlier this month

The US Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to approve a bill aimed at allowing news organizations to band together to negotiate with Alphabet's Google and Meta's Facebook and win more revenue.

The bill passed the committee by a vote of 15 to 7, according to a congressional aide. It must now go to the Senate for their approval. A similar bill is before the US House of Representatives.

The bill is aimed at giving news and broadcast organisations more clout after years of criticism that big tech companies use their content to attract traffic and ad revenue without fairly compensating the publishers, many of which struggle financially.

Samsung Wins Patent for a Tri-Fold Smartphone With Specialised Barrier Layer for Improved Durability

The bill, led by Democrat Amy Klobuchar, attracted some Republican support, with Senators John Kennedy and Lindsey Graham sponsoring it. Other Democrats, like Senator Alex Padilla, expressed reservations about it.

The bill hit a speed bump earlier this month when Senator Ted Cruz won backing for a plan to include provisions to address what he considers the platforms stifling conservative voices.

On Thursday Klobuchar won support for an amendment that specified that prices for use of content was the issue.

Google Working on Royalty-Free Media Formats to Take on Dolby: Report

"The goal of the bill is to allow local news organisations to get compensation when major titans, monopolies like Facebook and Google, access their content," she said at a committee session to vote on the bill.

Unlike other bills aimed at reining in big tech, some progressive groups oppose this measure, including Public Knowledge, on the grounds that it favors big broadcasters like News Corp, Sinclair, and Comcast/NBCU.

Also opposing the bill are two technology industry trade groups that Facebook and Google belong to: the Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice.

Buying an affordable 5G smartphone today usually means you will end up paying a "5G tax". What does that mean for those looking to get access to 5G networks as soon as they launch? Find out on this week's episode. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.