The Indian government, though aware, is not considering any proposal to put in place rules that would mandate global tech companies to share adequate revenues with digital news publishers for using their content on their platforms.

“Presently there is no such proposal for enactment of a law by the Government in this regard,” Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of parliament) late last week.

Thakur was responding to a query from a fellow parliamentarian whether the government was aware that tech giants like Facebook and Google were cornering 85 percent of advertisement revenue on their platforms by sharing free content of newspapers, magazines, etc.

The MIB Minister was also asked whether the government was aware the Australian Parliament had passed a law making it mandatory for digital platforms like Google and Facebook to pay publishers for taking news content from them.

Admitting that there was indeed an Aussie law mandating revenue sharing between digital platforms and content creators/owners, Thakur said, “According to media reports, news publishers have requested Google to pay to newspapers and for having a level playing field between global tech companies and traditional media/news organisations.”

Earlier this year in March, BJP leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi had raised the same issue in Rajya Sabha.

Modi had urged the Indian government, according to a then PTI report, to take a cue from the Australian parliament that passed the world’s first law last month to ensure news media businesses are fairly remunerated for the content they generate.

“I would urge the government of India…should enact a law on the pattern of Australian Code so that we can compel Google to share its revenue with traditional media,” Modi had added.