Google will continue to work with Australian publishers and pay for news content, and it is already in negotiations with publishers on deals that are due to expire soon.
Mediaweek understands the tech giant has already commenced talks on a number of publishing deals that are close to expiry.
A Google spokesperson told Mediaweek the company does not comment on commercial negotiations.
Mediaweek reached out to Google following the news today that Meta will stop paying publishers for news content and not re-negotiate new media deals once the current deals expire.
Google has a number of deals with Australian news publishers, many of which have longer timelines than Facebook and Instagram’s parent company. The tech giant also declined to comment on Meta’s decision.
However, recent comments from Lucinda Longcroft, the director of government affairs & public policy at Google Australia and New Zealand, highlight the company’s attitude toward the Australian news industry.
“We’ve been partnering with Australian news companies to strengthen quality journalism for two decades through our products, programs and commercial partnerships,” she said.
“Over the past three years, we’ve furthered our significant contribution to the Australian news industry by signing commercial agreements with more than 70 Australian news businesses, representing more than 200 outlets across the country.
“The majority of these outlets are regional or local,” Longcroft added.
Meta today confirmed it will stop paying publishers for news and not enter into new media deals once its current deals expire.
In a statement, Meta said the move was “part of an ongoing effort to better align our investments to our products and services people value the most.”
Meta also promised that “we will not enter into new commercial deals for traditional news content in these countries and will not offer new Facebook products specifically for news publishers in the future.”
The drop in traffic to the dedicated Facebook News tab was cited as a major reason for the move.
“As a company, we have to focus our time and resources on things people tell us they want to see more of on the platform, including short-form video. The number of people using Facebook News in Australia and the U.S. has dropped by over 80% last year.
“We know that people don’t come to Facebook for news and political content – they come to connect with people and discover new opportunities, passions and interests. As we previously shared in 2023, news makes up less than 3% of what people around the world see in their Facebook feed, and is a small part of the Facebook experience for the vast majority of people.”
See also: Meta pulls the pin on news tab, will not enter into any news media deals