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Google agreement statements
Q. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is drafting code of conduct legislation to force technology platforms, like Google and Facebook, to pay media organisations for the news content they distribute.
In response Facebook has threatened to stop its users sharing news and Google has warned its free web search is at risk.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
TOTAL: Agree | TOTAL: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Neither agree, nor disagree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | |
A strong media is essential to Australian democracy and the government is right to ask Google and Facebook to pay for news | 49% | 22% | 23% | 26% | 29% | 13% | 9% |
It is not up to Facebook and Google to support media companies | 38% | 26% | 15% | 23% | 36% | 15% | 12% |
Big tech companies like Google and Facebook should support Australian media rather than bullying the government | 54% | 17% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 11% | 6% |
Big technology companies like Google and Facebook have too much power and its time they were pulled into line | 51% | 19% | 23% | 27% | 30% | 12% | 7% |
If Facebook stopped offering news on its platform, I would use it less often | 29% | 35% | 12% | 18% | 35% | 19% | 16% |
Total | Age Group | Frequency of news consumption on social media | ||||||
TOTAL: AGREEMENT | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | At least daily | At least once a week | Less than once a week | Never | |
A strong media is essential to Australian democracy and the government is right to ask Google and Facebook to pay for news | 49% | 36% | 49% | 60% | 51% | 48% | 42% | 49% |
It is not up to Facebook and Google to support media companies | 38% | 45% | 39% | 32% | 42% | 38% | 31% | 27% |
Big tech companies like Google and Facebook should support Australian media rather than bullying the government | 54% | 38% | 54% | 66% | 55% | 55% | 43% | 60% |
Big technology companies like Google and Facebook have too much power and its time they were pulled into line | 51% | 36% | 53% | 61% | 51% | 49% | 43% | 61% |
If Facebook stopped offering news on its platform, I would use it less often | 29% | 35% | 33% | 21% | 34% | 30% | 22% | 16% |
Base (n) | 1,076 | 326 | 365 | 385 | 570 | 239 | 149 | 118 |
Total | Age Group | Frequency of news consumption on social media | ||||||
TOTAL: DISAGREEMENT | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | At least daily | At least once a week | Less than once a week | Never | |
A strong media is essential to Australian democracy and the government is right to ask Google and Facebook to pay for news | 22% | 30% | 20% | 17% | 23% | 21% | 28% | 15% |
It is not up to Facebook and Google to support media companies | 26% | 22% | 24% | 33% | 27% | 23% | 26% | 30% |
Big tech companies like Google and Facebook should support Australian media rather than bullying the government | 17% | 25% | 16% | 12% | 20% | 17% | 17% | 10% |
Big technology companies like Google and Facebook have too much power and its time they were pulled into line | 19% | 27% | 18% | 14% | 22% | 16% | 19% | 11% |
If Facebook stopped offering news on its platform, I would use it less often | 35% | 31% | 34% | 40% | 35% | 36% | 31% | 42% |
Base (n) | 1,076 | 326 | 365 | 385 | 570 | 239 | 149 | 118 |
- Around half of people agree that big technology companies like Google and Facebook have too much power (51%) and they should support Australian media rather than bullying the government (54%).
- People aged 18-34 were more sympathetic to social media platforms and had the lowest agreement that government is right to ask Google and Facebook to pay for news (36%), they have too much power (36%).
- 34% of daily social media users agree they would use the platform less frequently if it stopped offering news content.

COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
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Two Party Preferred:
Labor
45%
Coalition
48%
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Top Federal Government priorities for 2021
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Perceptions of change in the standard of living for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Changing views towards Australia Day
- Support towards a separate national day
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