Risk to journalism jobs
Major publishers warned that the revised scheme could reduce funding flowing to news businesses and lead to job losses.
News Media Bargaining Charge
Current status
This bill became law on Aug 26th, 2026.
Policy area
Budget, tax & economy
What does this bill do?
Large digital platform groups face a 2.75% charge on relevant Australian advertising revenue, up from the introduced bill’s 2.5%.
Why was it introduced?
The government says large digital platforms have taken audiences and advertising revenue from news businesses while becoming essential routes to online readers. It says the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code, the existing system for negotiating payments, can stop working if a platform removes news or declines to renew deals. Treasury estimated that this could leave news businesses short by $200–250 million a year. The policy aims to preserve deals worth about $200–250 million annually and was expected to cover three or four platforms initially.
Broader context
Australia’s 2021 News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code created a way to address bargaining-power imbalances, but online advertising had weakened news businesses’ revenue and the Code could be avoided by dropping news content. After a 2024 commitment to support journalism, the Government proposed the News Bargaining Incentive and introduced this bill in 2026, imposing a 2.5 per cent charge from 2025–26 that can be offsetA charge reduction earned through eligible news-business payments. through deals with at least eight Australian news groups; Parliament passed it on 20 August 2026.
Key criticism
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (Australian Greens) argued that the scheme’s biggest gap was its exclusion of stand-alone artificial intelligence platforms. The Greens said these companies use work from Australian journalists and other creators without paying the people who hold the rights. Digital platforms described the measure as a tax on digital services that could reduce investment and innovation in Australia. Treasury estimated that extra reporting, computer-system and advice costs would total about $560,000 a year across covered platforms.
Who supported it?
Hon Dr Daniel Mulino MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.
Introduced in House 13 Aug 2026
Passed House 19 Aug 2026
Passed Senate 20 Aug 2026
Became law 26 Aug 2026
Did it become law?
Yes
Became law 26 Aug 2026
Final passage
Passed without a counted vote
4 recorded amendment or procedural votes were found, but no counted vote on the bill itself was recorded.
Passage speed
13 days
From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step
Meaning
What does this bill do?
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Large digital platform groups face a 2.75% charge on relevant Australian advertising revenue, up from the introduced bill’s 2.5%.
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Platform groups are covered when that revenue exceeds $250 million. Social media services must average more than 5 million monthly Australian users.
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Search services must average more than 10 million monthly Australian users. Stand-alone artificial intelligence services that generate answers without searching the internet are excluded.
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Covered platform groups can reduce their charge by funding news content through deals with at least eight Australian news groups.
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Smaller news groups receive a stronger incentive. Each dollar spent counts as $2, compared with $1.50 for other groups.
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Covered platform groups enter the scheme from the 2025–26 financial year. Early deals receive broader treatment, but advertising and marketing are capped at 40%.
Show source excerpts
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(1) Clause 3, page 2 (line 11), omit “2.5%”, substitute “2.75%”. [rate of charge]
Proposed amendment 1: Detail - Government [sheet AU133] -
The Administration Bill establishes the framework for the NMI. A parent entity is liable for the NMI in a financial year commencing on 1 July if the parent entity or a member of its service group provides a significant social media or search service in Australia and the service group has total relevant Australian digital advertising revenue that exceeds $250 million for the group’s 12-month financial reporting period ending during the financial year. A social media or search service must be provided by one or more members of a service group on the last day of the group’s 12-month financial re
News Media Bargaining Charge explanatory memorandum -
The social media or search service must be provided by one or more members of a service group on the last day of the group’s 12-month financial reporting period ending during the financial year. Such a service is a significant social media or search service for a financial year if the average monthly active Australian users of the service in the group’s previous reporting period exceeds: for a social media service – the higher of 5 million or a number prescribed by the rules (if any); or for a search service – the higher of 10 million or a number prescribed by the rules (if any).
News Media Bargaining Charge explanatory memorandum -
A parent entity is entitled to an NMI offset for a financial year if it is liable to pay the NMI for the financial year and one or more members of its service group have an amount of new eligible expenditure greater than nil in relation to eight or more Australian news business corporate groups for the financial year. If these conditions are met the parent entity may apply its NMI offset amount against the amount of NMI payable by the entity to reduce its liability.[Clause 6 (definition of ‘charge offset’), clause 16 and subclause 17(1) of the Administration Bill] This entitlement criteria su
News Media Bargaining Charge explanatory memorandum -
The amount of a parent entity’s service group’s eligible expenditure is used to work out the parent entity’s NMI offset amount. The amount of eligible expenditure does not need to be as much as the amount of NMI payable for a parent entity to fully offset its liability. This is because an uplift rate is applied to expenditure totals in relation to each news business corporate group. To encourage expenditure in relation to smaller news groups, a greater uplift rate is applied to expenditure totals relating to news groups comprised of only small or medium business entities. However, for the par
News Media Bargaining Charge explanatory memorandum -
The Administration Bill applies the NMI for a financial year commencing on 1 July of a parent entity where its 12-month financial reporting period starts on or after 1 January 2025. This has the effect that the NMI applies from the 2025-26 financial year and later financial years.[Paragraph 13(1)(a) of the Administration Bill]
News Media Bargaining Charge explanatory memorandum
Context
Broader context for this bill
Australia’s 2021 News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code created a way to address bargaining-power imbalances, but online advertising had weakened news businesses’ revenue and the Code could be avoided by dropping news content. After a 2024 commitment to support journalism, the Government proposed the News Bargaining Incentive and introduced this bill in 2026, imposing a 2.5 per cent charge from 2025–26 that can be offsetA charge reduction earned through eligible news-business payments. through deals with at least eight Australian news groups; Parliament passed it on 20 August 2026.
- 03 Mar 2021
Mandatory bargaining code takes effect
The Code addressed bargaining-power imbalances between designated digital platforms and Australian news businesses, while leaving a gap because a platform could avoid liability by ceasing to carry news.
News Media Bargaining Charge explanatory memorandum ↗ - 2024
Government commits to a news bargaining incentive
The commitment aimed to encourage large search and social media services to support Australian news through commercial deals.
News Media Bargaining Charge explanatory memorandum ↗ - 28 Apr 2026
Government proposes a levy for platforms without news deals
The proposal would charge Meta, Google and TikTok 2.25 per cent of local revenues unless they negotiated agreements with Australian media outlets.
Reuters ↗ - 03 Aug 2026
Government finalises the incentive’s news-deal conditions
The final plan included LinkedIn and required Google, Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn to sign deals with at least eight media companies, with payments offsetting a proposed 2.5 per cent charge.
Capital Brief ↗ - 13 Aug 2026
House introduces the News Media Bargaining ChargeA charge on covered platforms’ Australian digital advertising revenue. Bill
Hon Dr Daniel Mulino MP introduced the bill to impose a 2.5 per cent charge on Australian digital advertising revenueMoney earned from online advertisements linked to Australian users. and support the News Bargaining Incentive.
Hansard ↗ - 20 Aug 2026
Parliament passes the bill
Both Houses passed the bill, completing parliamentary passage and clearing the way for the charge to apply from the 2025–26 financial year.
Reuters ↗
Legislative route
How did it move through Parliament?
House Senate
Introduced 13 Aug 2026
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
Second reading opened 13 Aug 2026
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Second reading debate 18 Aug 2026
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House second reading agreed 19 Aug 2026
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
House agreed to amendments 19 Aug 2026
The chamber considered amendments before the bill moved to the next stage.
Consideration in detail debate
House third reading agreed 19 Aug 2026
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
Introduced 20 Aug 2026
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
Second reading opened 20 Aug 2026
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Second reading debate 20 Aug 2026
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate second reading agreed 20 Aug 2026
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
Senate third reading agreed 20 Aug 2026
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
Passed both houses 20 Aug 2026
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Finally passed both Houses
Assent 26 Aug 2026
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
Key criticism
The main case against this bill
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (Australian Greens) argued that the scheme’s biggest gap was its exclusion of stand-alone artificial intelligence platforms. The Greens said these companies use work from Australian journalists and other creators without paying the people who hold the rights. Digital platforms described the measure as a tax on digital services that could reduce investment and innovation in Australia. Treasury estimated that extra reporting, computer-system and advice costs would total about $560,000 a year across covered platforms.
The government says the scheme is designed to encourage payments to news businesses, not raise revenue. Its assessment says steadier funding would support journalism, while acknowledging that platforms may pass costs to small advertisers and consumers.
Too little support for smaller outlets
Critics objected that the softer draft did not require enough deals or spread sufficient support across smaller and diverse publishers. The government responded by requiring deals with at least eight news groups and revising the offsetA charge reduction earned through eligible news-business payments. settings.
AI companies left outside the scheme
A proposed Senate statement argued that artificial intelligence companies also use Australian journalism without payment and called for urgent consultation on making them pay rights-holders. The proposal was rejected 13 votes to 29.
Further sources
Votes
Recorded votes
How the bill itself passed
The bill passed both chambers on the voices. The counted divisions below were about amendments or procedure, not final passage.
Passed House passed the bill
House agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed
House passed the bill
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Passed Senate passed the bill
Senate agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed
Senate passed the bill
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Amendments at a glance
Amendments grouped by chamber. Expand any amendment to see the party breakdown or, where it passed on the voices, how that works.
House
Carried Raise charge rate to 2.75%
This amendment would change the bill text by increasing the charge rate from 2.5 per cent to 2.75 per cent for 2025–2026.
Carried
Raise charge rate to 2.75%
This amendment would change the bill text by increasing the charge rate from 2.5 per cent to 2.75 per cent for 2025–2026.
Passed on the voices
The chamber agreed to this amendment without a counted vote — the presiding officer judged the ayes louder than the noes, and no member called for a division.
Senate
Defeated Consult on artificial intelligence payments for journalism
Defeated 13 to 29. Support came from Greens, One Nation, and minor parties and independents. Opposition came from Labor and Liberal.
Defeated
Consult on artificial intelligence payments for journalism
The defeat left the bill's second-reading motion without the Greens' call for the payment scheme to be extended or complemented by action covering artificial intelligence companies.
Party Aye / No
Labor 0 / 26
Greens 9 / 0
Liberal 0 / 3
One Nation 3 / 0
Independent 1 / 0
Defeated Changes to the news media bargaining scheme
Defeated 23 to 35. Support came from Liberal, One Nation, Nationals, and minor parties and independents. Opposition came from Labor, Greens, and minor parties and independents.
Defeated
Changes to the news media bargaining scheme
The defeat preserved the bill's existing definition of an eligible editorial role for the news-journalism payment framework.
Party Aye / No
Labor 0 / 25
Liberal 17 / 0
Greens 0 / 9
One Nation 3 / 0
Nationals 2 / 0
Independent 0 / 1
Unknown 1 / 0
Defeated Further changes to the news media bargaining scheme
Defeated 10 to 34. Support came from Greens and minor parties and independents. Opposition came from Labor, Liberal, One Nation, and Nationals.
Defeated
Further changes to the news media bargaining scheme
The defeat retained the bill's existing eligibility, priority and funding-allocation rules for financial assistance to news organisations.
Party Aye / No
Labor 0 / 25
Greens 9 / 0
Liberal 0 / 5
One Nation 0 / 3
Independent 1 / 0
Nationals 0 / 1
Defeated Remaining changes to the news media bargaining scheme
Defeated 10 to 33. Support came from Greens and minor parties and independents. Opposition came from Labor, Liberal, and One Nation.
Defeated
Remaining changes to the news media bargaining scheme
The proposed change was not agreed.
Party Aye / No
Labor 0 / 26
Greens 9 / 0
Liberal 0 / 4
One Nation 0 / 3
Independent 1 / 0
These are amendment votes, not the final passage vote on the bill itself. The bill passed both chambers on the voices.
Parliamentary debate
Who spoke, and what they said
Start here — lead voices
Sponsor speech Supports
Daniel Mulino
Mulino supports the bill, which sets a 2.5 per cent charge on digital advertising revenueMoney earned from online advertisements linked to Australian users. from major search and social media platforms to encourage commercial agreements that support Australian news media.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
Labor
1 speaker · 1 support
Labor
1 speaker · 1 support
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Daniel Mulino ★ Mulino supports the bill, which sets a 2.5 per cent charge on digital advertising revenueMoney earned from online advertisements linked to Australian users. from major search and social media platforms to encourage commercial agreements that support Australian news media.
“The charge works with the offset mechanism in the administration bill to create a clear incentive for commercial agreements to be made by digital platforms to support a strong and diverse Australian news ecosystem.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
Full record
- Act title
- News Media Bargaining Charge Act 2026
- Act number
- Act No. 78, 2026
- Became law
- 26 Aug 2026
- Takes effect
- Administered by
- Treasury
- The bill was not recorded as an Act on the APH bill page at collection time.
- Status
- Act -- Collected from the APH bill page.
- Originating house
- House of Representatives
- 13 Aug 2026
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
- 13 Aug 2026
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
- 18 Aug 2026
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
- 19 Aug 2026
House · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
- 19 Aug 2026
House · Consideration in detail: amendments considered
Amendments agreed
The chamber considered amendments before the bill moved to the next stage.
- 19 Aug 2026
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
- 20 Aug 2026
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
- 20 Aug 2026
Senate · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
- 20 Aug 2026
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
- 20 Aug 2026
Senate · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
- 20 Aug 2026
Senate · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
- 20 Aug 2026
Parliament · Finally passed both Houses
Passed both houses
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
- 26 Aug 2026
Assent · Assent
Assent
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.