Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended Australia’s News Media Bargaining code, local content quotas and social media ban as Donald Trump’s long awaited tariffs finally dropped this morning.
Speaking at a press conference in Melbourne this morning, Albanese launched a blistering critique of the Trump administration’s decision to impose 10 per cent tariffs on Australian exports, describing the move as “totally unwarranted” and “not the act of a friend.”
Hours after the White House dubbed the day “Liberation Day”—Albanese said the tariffs, part of a sweeping global trade maneuver by the U.S., would hurt American households most, and stand in stark contrast to the spirit of the two nations’ longstanding alliance.
While Albanese confirmed Australia would not retaliate with its own tariffs, he made it clear that his government would continue to push for their removal through diplomatic and legal channels, citing mechanisms in the Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. But beyond steel, aluminum, and other goods, the Prime Minister also turned his attention to another critical battleground: media content, tech accountability, and the value of Australian stories in the digital economy.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to pushing tech giants to fairly compensate Australian news publishers, and to ensuring local content continues to be prioritised on streaming platforms and social media.
In a snippet of a press conference played on ABC Radio this morning, Albanese said that his government stands by its media bargaining code.
“We strongly support local content in streaming services, so Australian stories stay on Australian screens,” he said.
Albanese also defended the long-disputed social media ban that is set to come into effect later this year that will see children aged under 16 banned from social media platforms.
“We have no intention of repealing the world-leading legislation that we passed with overwhelming support that set the minimum age for social media at 16. That policy is about what’s best for Australian children and Australian parents. These are our priorities, we stand up for Australia’s interest,” Albanese said.
Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code has resurfaced as a key point of contention in Australia’s relationship with the US, just as former President Trump unveiled sweeping new tariffs targeting nations he claims are “treating American interests unfairly.”
The tensions were fuelled by the release of the 2025 Foreign Trade Barriers report from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which raised concerns not just about agricultural trade barriers—such as Australia’s restrictions on uncooked American beef, pork, poultry, apples, and pears—but also fresh points of digital friction.
For the first time, the report included a formal grievance over Australia’s digital regulation agenda, highlighting the Albanese government’s December 2024 announcement of the News Bargaining Incentive. The policy was described as “a financial penalty for designated platforms that do not reach or renew commercial agreements” with news publishers, effectively strengthening the existing code.
Although the Albanese government paused the rollout earlier this year to avoid escalating tensions, the USTR report does not mention this move. Instead, it signals continued concern, stating: “the United States continues to monitor this issue.”
This omission comes amid an intense lobbying push from U.S. tech giants. The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA)—representing Meta, Google, Amazon, and Apple—has urged the Trump administration to retaliate against what it calls “coercive and discriminatory” Australian policies. The CCIA claims the code could cost U.S. companies over US$140 million annually, calling the incentive “a de facto tax on American firms.”
With tech titans including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos wielding influence within Trump’s inner circle, digital regulation has become a high-stakes trade issue. Musk, now central to Trump’s cost-cutting “DOGE” policy initiative, has joined others in pushing back against what they view as foreign regulatory overreach.
In Canberra, the Albanese government continues to defend the code as a matter of principle and sovereignty. Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said: “This approach strengthens the existing code by addressing loopholes that could see platforms circumvent their responsibility to pay.” He added, “We are determined to defend our sovereignty and the right to protect what’s critical to our democracy.”
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland reinforced the government’s position: “The government has made it very clear that this is not targeted at any specific country. This is important for ensuring that Australian publishers are properly recompensed for the work that they undertake. That principle remains true.”
Today’s statements from Prime Minister Albanese reaffirm that position—emphasising Australia’s commitment to defending its media independence and the value of local content in an increasingly contested digital and geopolitical landscape.
Screen Producers Australia welcomed the Prime Minister’s statement.
“The hundreds of small screen businesses and the thousands of their employees and partners across a range of creative sectors will welcome this statement by the Prime Minister. It signals the ongoing solid support for our creative industries and the importance of local content rules to Australia’s cultural sovereignty,” said SPA CEO Matthew Deaner.
“I know that the Australian Government has been under enormous pressure from the USA on this front, amply evident from the aggressive position of the Motion Picture Association, which has sought to resist, delay, and read down the local content rules agreed to in the 2004 Australia-US Free Trade Agreement. This was also an attempt to force a back down on the commitment made to us and the Australian public in our National Cultural Policy Revive, as well as the Coalition’s position when it was last in Government.”
“In upending trade conventions, the Trump Administration has given the opponents of these rules a big boost. That’s why today’s statement by the Prime Minister is such a welcome indication of the Government’s continuing stance in this situation.
“SPA has long advocated for local content rules so that our screen stories are available to our audiences as they move to streaming platforms. Because of the delay in putting these rules into place, right now, finding our own screen stories is getting harder and harder, and that’s not a good situation.
“Local content rules have served Australian audiences very well ever since they were first introduced for television in 1961 – nearly 65 years ago now. Without them, as a small, English-language nation, we would have had little ability or capacity to develop our own local industry and to compete on commercial terms with the scale and dominance of the massive USA and UK industries.
“It is SPA’s highest priority to secure a robust regulatory framework on streaming platforms, and we will continue our fierce advocacy for our industry until this is done,” said Deaner.
