Microsoft leaves door open to media deal talks under Labor’s tech levy
The US tech giant, which owns LinkedIn and Bing, has broken its silence on Australia's new tech levy, which could force it to strike deals with local publishers.
Microsoft has reiterated its support for Australia’s original plans to make tech companies pay for journalism and has committed to working constructively under Labor’s new tech levy, as the government drags its feet into consultation.
The policy — dubbed the news bargaining incentive — threatens to impose a charge worth hundreds of millions of dollars on US tech giants, including Google, Meta, TikTok and potentially Microsoft, if they fail to strike content deals with Australian news publishers.
Google swiftly criticised the December announcement, calling the levy a “targeted tax”. Meta raised the same concerns that led it to abandon $70 million in annual deals with news publishers, while TikTok argued that it is not a go-to destination for news.
But Microsoft, which owns the search engine Bing and more notably the professional social networking service LinkedIn, kept silent on the plans despite being among the most vocal supporters of the policy’s predecessor, the news media bargaining code.
