7) Google and Facebook Forced to Pay Media Companies

Traditional media companies have complained for years that the Internet ruined the news industry and called for digital advertising giants Google and Facebook to pay them when news content appears on their services. France and Australia have been the most aggressive carrying the media industry’s water. Australia was the top story of 2021, with the government proposing legislation that appeared for require Google to pay media companies when content came up in basic search, while Facebook would have to pay when users, including media companies, posted news stories. Both giants threatened to shut down key services in Australia, and when Facebook did block media links for a few days, it was global news. A compromise was reached, legislation passed, and payments talks ensued. France, the second front in this global war, has been more focused on Google, including slapping a 500 million euro fine on the search giant for not reaching payments deals fast enough. Facebook is now also making payments deals in France. With blood (money) in the water, expect the trend to continue in 2022, both in terms of more countries, and more complaints from media institutions that miss out on the giveaways.