The Swiss Government Takes a Stand Against Tech Giants
When major international tech platforms like Google display journalistic content in Switzerland, they will now be required to compensate smaller and medium-sized publishers. This move by the Swiss government aims to support and strengthen local publishers in the face of tech giants.
The Impact of Google on Swiss Media
When users in Switzerland use Google or services like Google News, they not only receive links to websites but also see entire text excerpts. Google utilizes text snippets created by Swiss journalists for Swiss media outlets. As a result, users often find this information sufficient and do not click through to the original source. This generates traffic for Google’s own platforms, earning them millions, while media companies and journalists miss out on compensation.
A Proposed Solution by the Swiss Government
The Swiss government has proposed a solution to adjust the copyright law, ensuring that tech platforms like Google compensate media houses for displaying their content. A study conducted by Fehr Advice estimated that Google alone should pay at least 154 million Swiss Francs annually to local media houses.
Ensuring Fair Compensation
- Compensation will be based on journalistic effort, not just generated traffic.
- A distribution society like Pro Litteris will handle the distribution of compensation to prevent individual negotiations between tech platforms and media houses.
- This model will benefit smaller publishers and journalists, especially those covering regions with higher information dissemination costs.
Comparison with EU Legislation
Unlike the EU, Switzerland’s approach does not include a prohibition right for publishers to restrict tech platforms from using their content. This distinction aims to prevent Google from altering its content presentation in the EU, potentially impacting user experience negatively.
Global Response to Tech Giants
Other countries like Australia, Canada, and New Zealand have enacted similar laws to ensure fair compensation for media content displayed by tech giants. Google’s temporary removal of media content in various European countries sparked criticism but also highlighted the need for regulatory measures.
Support for the Swiss Initiative
Industry associations and publishers welcomed the proposed change, emphasizing the importance of fair compensation for media content. The President of the Swiss Media Publishers Association, Andrea Masüger, stated, “Fairplay in the Swiss media landscape requires Fairpay from tech giants.”
Conclusion
The Swiss government’s decision to enforce compensation for tech platforms displaying journalistic content reflects a global trend towards regulating tech giants. By prioritizing fair compensation for media houses and journalists, Switzerland sets a precedent for other countries to ensure a level playing field in the digital media landscape.
FAQs
What prompted the Swiss government to introduce compensation requirements for tech platforms?
The Swiss government aimed to support smaller and medium-sized publishers who were missing out on compensation when tech platforms displayed their content without recompense.
How will compensation be calculated for media houses and journalists?
Compensation will be based on the journalistic effort put into creating the content, rather than just the traffic generated by the tech platforms.