Facebook, Google and TikTok will be forced to fund Australian journalism, even if they do not host it, under a federal government plan to impose a new tax aimed at encouraging the tech platforms to establish funding agreements with news organisations. The proposed settlement would end a long-running lawsuit prompted by 2018 revelations that Facebook allowed the British political consulting firm to access personal data of millions of users. The age group made up 15.8% of the user base, with slightly more female users (8.5%) than male users (7.3%). This suggests that middle-aged women were slightly more active on Facebook, potentially for community engagement and social interactions.

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• The platform played a crucial role in digital communication, serving as a hub for social interactions, entertainment, and news consumption across different age groups.
• “Digital platforms receive huge financial benefits from Australia, and they have a social and economic responsibility to contribute to Australians’ access to quality journalism.”
• The largest demographic was the age group, making up 24.2% of total users (11.8% female, 12.4% male).
• The information was harvested and sold to Cambridge Analytica, which used it to help the 2016 presidential election campaigns of Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.

In 2024 Facebook Australia had 125 employees including employees from all subsidiaries under the company’s control. A Google spokesperson said the company had struck agreements with more than 80 Australian media companies since 2021, which they had committed to renew as they expired. Coalition ministers say it has taken the government nine months to respond to Meta “thumbing its nose” at the government, and the question now must be how much longer it will take before social companies are forced to pay. The government has not outlined the details of the size of the tax or the offset, with further negotiations to follow. Tech companies, including Meta, say they’re concerned about the proposal, while Australian media organisations have welcomed it as a positive step. “Today’s settlement represents the largest-ever payment dedicated to addressing concerns about the privacy of individuals in Australia,” Australian Information Commissioner Elizabeth Tydd said in a statement on Tuesday.

Could Australia flip the table on Meta with a tech tax?

Lastly, the 65+ age group accounted for 13.6%, indicating that older Australians were still engaged on Facebook, likely using it to stay in touch with family, follow news, and participate in interest-based communities. Facebook’s extensive reach in Australia made it a vital platform for businesses, advertisers, and influencers looking to connect with a broad audience. Brands leveraged Facebook’s targeted advertising capabilities to engage with users effectively, while communities and interest Wolf Winner Casino groups thrived through active discussions and shared content.

Facebook Users in Australia by Age Group (

Whenever you want to log into your Facebook account, type facebook.com into your web browser address bar, click on your account name and enter your password. Facebook will use your email address to verify your details when you set up an account, and it may also contact you in the future to alert you to any suspicious behaviour on your account. The government is unsure whether Microsoft (which owns LinkedIn) and Apple will be covered by its $250 million threshold but is confident it will apply to Alphabet (which owns Google), Meta, and ByteDance (which owns TikTok).

As digital consumption patterns evolved, Facebook remained a key player in Australia’s online ecosystem, ensuring sustained engagement and connectivity among its users. DIGI, an industry group that lobbies on behalf of social media platforms, said there were “many unanswered questions” about the government’s plan. Facebook users will receive a shared $50 million payment after parent company Meta agreed to a record settlement with Australia’s information commissioner, ending years of legal proceedings. Facebook’s user base in Australia experienced steady growth in 2025, with an increase of 550,000 users over the year, reflecting a 3.3% rise in total users. This suggests that despite competition from other platforms, Facebook remained a key platform for social networking and digital marketing in the country. The design of this tax would not stipulate which media outlets the platforms should pay — instead, it would work like a standard tax offset where any dollar spent on an agreement with a relevant outlet would be deductible.

With 77.7% of internet users actively using Facebook, it maintained its position as the most-used social media platform in the country. Additionally, 22% of social media users considered Facebook their favorite platform, further emphasizing its significance. Its web traffic referral rate of 65.82% was the highest among all platforms, showcasing its influence in directing users to other sites. On the digital front, Facebook ranked 3rd among Australia’s top websites, with 224 million visits (Similarweb) and 206 million visits (Semrush).