Trump spokesman cautions Australia over latest plan to punish Big Tech
The Trump administration has warned Australia against implementing new digital regulations, including a 'duty of care' bill that would hold tech companies liable for harmful content. US officials characterized these policies as extortionate, signaling potential trade tensions.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing friction between sovereign nations attempting to regulate social media and the US government's protection of its dominant technology sector.
— 4:10pm , first published September 9, 2026 — 7:44am
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Share A A A Washington: The White House has signalled concerns over Australia’s latest plan to clamp down on social media and the predominantly American tech companies, warning that President Donald Trump has made it “unequivocally” clear that he considers such policies extortionate.
It comes as the National Foreign Trade Council, a US business association, slammed last week’s change by the Australian Tax Office, which treats revenue from cloud computing and streaming services as a royalty, subjecting it to a higher tax rate .
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