Tech urge Trump to hit Australia over social media laws
Laws forcing social media companies to pay Australia media for news have prompted tech giants to call on US President Donald Trump.
Tech giants are reportedly pressuring US President Donald Trump to punish Australia over its social media laws.
The move is in response to the federal government putting in place laws to ban children under 16 from accessing social media, as well as measures to force tech companies to pay media organisations in Australia for content on their platform.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the reaction from the US companies were predictable.
“It’s not surprising that the techy giants would have that view,” he said on Friday.
“Our job is to make decisions in Australia’s national interest, to protect kids online, for example, or to make sure that there’s a level playing field in our media with our media organisations.”
“It’s self evident that (tech billionaires) are very close with the US administration. Our focus and our job is to make our case in the US, as we have been doing,” he said.
“A lot of people around the country, not just parents, but including parents, they want to make sure that they’re appropriate protections for people online. The tech giants won’t always like that.”
The calls coincide with Australia being slapped with 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium exports by the Trump administration.
There are fears further trade measures will soon be applied to other Australian products such as pharmaceuticals and beef, some of the largest exports to the US.
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National Farmers’ Federation president David Jochinke said the peak body had been in regular contact with US counterparts to ensure tariffs on agricultural goods were not imposed.
He argued it was better for both Australia and the US if the measures were not put in place.
“Last time tariffs were imposed, it made their goods more expensive for their consumers,” Jochinke said.
“We haven’t been displacing the product that they are producing within country. It’s been benefiting the shortfall that they’ve got, especially around beef at the moment.
“They require beef from somewhere, and we want to be that supplier of choice.”
