Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the introduction of a mandatory news media bargaining code by the government of Australia, what plans they have, if any, to introduce legislation to compel social media companies to pay for news content taken from other news outlets.

The UK government is committed to supporting the sustainability of trusted journalism.

We have announced plans to introduce a new code of conduct to govern the relationships between powerful online platforms and the businesses which depend on them. It will cover the relationships between publishers and platforms to ensure they are fair, and help support the sustainability of the press. The code will be overseen by a new Digital Markets Unit and we will consider all options as we consult on its form and function later this year. No decisions have yet been taken.

We are also engaging with the Australian government to develop our understanding of the progress they are making, and are closely monitoring the reaction from both publishers and platforms.