In an unprecedented show of unity, 116 professionals from Taiwan’s journalism and academic sectors have launched a petition demanding that the government enact legislation to protect the local media industry from the growing dominance and monetization practices of online platforms like Google and Meta. The movement reflects a rising global trend of confronting digital monopolies over news distribution and advertising revenue.
📉 The Crisis in Numbers: Journalism Under Pressure
Between 2012 and 2023, digital advertising revenue in Taiwan surged from NT$11.6 billion to NT$61 billion, a staggering fivefold increase. During the same period, traditional media advertising revenue dropped sharply — from NT$42.5 billion to NT$21 billion, according to the campaign.
This dramatic shift is not just financial; it’s existential. News outlets are increasingly squeezed out of the revenue chain while tech giants profit from freely using their content — and often without consent or compensation.
🧑🏫 Who Signed the Petition?
The 116 signatories include:
- 64 academics, including prominent professors in communication and journalism
- 22 professional journalists
- 14 members of media-related associations
- 16 students or student organizations
According to National Taiwan Normal University professor Wang Wei-ching, the joint petition marks a rare, collective outcry from the communication sector — especially from academia — aimed squarely at both government inaction and corporate overreach.
⚖️ What’s Being Proposed?
The group is calling on Taiwan’s government to pass legislation similar to Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code, which mandates that digital platforms negotiate directly with news publishers for compensation.
Key Proposals:
- Fair Negotiation Framework – Platforms like Google and Meta must negotiate with news outlets to determine fair compensation for using their content.
- Mandatory Arbitration – If talks fail, an independent regulatory authority should step in to mediate.
- AI Content Licensing – Generative AI platforms trained on news content must also pay licensing fees to news producers.
- Journalism Development Fund – A proposed fund, potentially sourced from digital ad taxes or public-private donations, would support:
- Investigative journalism
- Journalist wages and benefits
- Media literacy education
- Public-interest programming
🌐 Global Context: Taiwan Isn’t Alone
Countries like Australia, Canada, and the EU have already introduced or proposed laws to compel digital platforms to share revenues with publishers. In Canada, Google recently agreed to pay $100 million CAD annually into a fund to support local newsrooms.
In Taiwan, however, such regulatory frameworks remain in development limbo.
🏛️ Government Response: Too Slow?
At a public hearing in Taipei, Legislator Lin Kuo-chen of the Taiwan People’s Party pressed the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) for urgent action. Although MODA stated that it “firmly supports the value of journalism,” its own version of the draft bill is not expected until late 2025.
Lin countered that if MODA delays further, the Legislature’s Transportation Committee will move forward with existing drafts and finalize a version for review by the end of the year.
🧠 Why It Matters: The Future of Democracy
According to Wang, low wages, clickbait culture, and deteriorating news standards not only harm journalists — they weaken democracy.
“If we don’t have the resources to produce quality journalism and allow it to be replaced by oversimplified, clickbait-driven content, it will only harm our democracy and deepen social divisions.”
— Prof. Wang Wei-ching
With generative AI increasingly scraping journalism to train models, the urgency is even greater. Without a financial and legal foundation that values content creators, Taiwan risks losing its independent media altogether.
📌FAQs
Why are digital platforms being criticized by Taiwan’s journalism sector?
Platforms like Google and Meta use news content to drive traffic and ad revenue but often do not pay news creators, threatening the financial sustainability of journalism.
What is the core demand of the petitioners?
They are urging legislation to establish a fair revenue-sharing mechanism between digital platforms and news outlets.
What is the Journalism Development Fund?
A proposed fund that would be financed by digital ad taxes or donations and used to support investigative journalism and improve labor conditions in the media industry.
What role does AI play in this debate?
AI models are increasingly trained on news content without payment or permission. The campaign demands compensation mechanisms for such use.
Has Taiwan taken any legislative steps so far?
Multiple draft bills are under discussion, and MODA plans to introduce its version by the end of 2025. However, delays have led to calls for quicker legislative action.
