Liberal senator Andrew Bragg is pressuring Google and Facebook to follow through with deals that will financially support small publishers.
Earlier this year, both Google and Facebook agreed to negotiate payments with local media businesses, after the government officially introduced the News Media Bargaining Code.
The deals were headlined by the likes of Nine, News Corp and Seven West Media all signing on with the tech giants for payments believed to be worth millions each year.
There are now concerns, however, that smaller publishers are being left behind on the back of the News Media Bargaining Code.
Speaking to the Herald, ACCC chair Rod Sims confirmed that one group of publishers had applied to reach a collective deal with Google and Facebook.
He added that “many” smaller publishers had gone for individual deals.
Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg called out Facebook and Google for failing to reach deals with small publishers.
“Big Tech has so much power and they’ve made public commitments to pay for journalism from small publishers,” he said.
“It’s important that we see the colour of their money and I am very happy to represent the interests of small publishers.”
Communications minister Paul Fletcher has previously suggested a default offer could be the way forward for ensuring small publishers are reimbursed.
“We do expect there to be arrangements with small and regional publishers as well as the larger ones, albeit through a more efficient mode of engagement through a default offer,” he said in February.
Google has previously signed smaller media companies such as Australian Community Media (ACM), Schwartz Media, Solstice Media, The Conversation, and Private Media to its News Showcase initiative.