As the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill’s second reading has been postponed this week, “the Government might finally be seeing sense”, said James Ross, the Taxpayers’ Union’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager.

“Carbon-copies of this bill have been tried overseas, and the results have been disastrous. Ask Canadians who can no longer access news through Facebook what they think of the Online News Act.”

“The only options it leaves for tech firms are to either pull out of New Zealand or be exposed to near-unlimited liabilities. Clearly someone in the Beehive has cottoned on to the fact these tech companies aren’t bluffing.”

“A pause is good, but this Bill needs to be scrapped. National knew before the election bailing out untrusted media firms wouldn’t work, now that needs to be put into practice.”

NOTES:

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is an independent and membership-driven activist group, dedicated to being the voice for Kiwi taxpayers in the corridors of power. Its mission, lower taxes, less waste, more accountability, is supported by 200,000 subscribed members and supporters.

© Scoop Media