Facebook agreed to pay, so they caved. This payment for media scheme will lead to very few providers of 'news' (large companies only)
Facebook Restores News Sharing As Australia Works Out Way For Elite To Control Media People See
The proposed law was supposed to be a model for other governments as the world seeks to combat "disinformation" by forcing Big Tech to pay media companies for the content that is shared across their platforms. In Australia, Google and Facebook have been the two main targets, seeing as that's where the bulk of news is shared.
"Canberra said the amendments to the proposed law would provide clarity for digital platforms and media businesses about how the code would operate. It features an arbitration system that would make binding decisions on the fees designated platforms would have to pay news providers if commercial negotiations failed. The changes could give Facebook and Google, the companies most vulnerable to the code, more flexibility to escape the most stringent aspects of it."
But thanks to the changes, authorities would have to consider whether a company had made a significant contribution to the news industry by reaching commercial deals with media businesses. The final arbitration model included in code, which had drawn intense ire from Big Tech, will be stipulated as a “last resort” when commercial deals cannot be reached. A two-month period of mediation must occur prior to arbitration, the government said.
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/facebook-restores-news-sharing-australia-caves-big-tech