A third round of negotiations between the digital ministry and the social media company Meta has not yet produced an agreement on pricing for news media producers. Digital minister Audrey Tang (唐鳳) discussed the progress of negotiations during a hearing with legislators on Wednesday.
The ministry has been negotiating since last December with social media companies with the aim of developing a model for how news companies can bargain with platforms on pricing. In March, Google announced the creation of the Taiwan News Digital Co-prosperity Fund which pledges NT$300 million (US$9.8 million) to help media companies with their digital transition.
Tang says she met with Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg at the 2023 Concordia Annual Summit in New York last week. She says that while no agreement was reached, Clegg said that Meta is committed to innovation in Taiwan’s news industry. However, the specific mechanism that will be implemented is still being discussed. Tang says both a Google-style funding model and a neighboring rights-based model are both being considered. She says she hopes Meta will be ready with a proposal when they meet again in October.