The law is forcing two walled gardens to pay - because they are walled gardens. That's exactly the opposite.
If they never reached a deal users would seek news not on Facebook or google but elsewhere - perhaps on the open web.
If they never reached a deal users would seek news not on Facebook or google but elsewhere - perhaps on the open web.
How is Google search a walled garden? You search, see a link to a news story, click on it, leave Google.
(Disclosure: I work at Google, speaking only for myself)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/202...
https://sparktoro.com/blog/less-than-half-of-google-searches...
When users stay on the Google and Facebook platforms then news media companies are for practical purposes forced to have a presence on both, but that also means Google and Facebook will capture most of the advertising revenue and the news media companies producing the actual content will see less. Hence the regulation.
Google has already done deals with various news media companies in Australia. Facebook is in the process of doing the same. The Australian government got what they wanted.