The particulars of the legislation are crap, but legislation like this should've been put in place around 2005. Commercial tech moves faster than legislation, so this wasn't even on the political radar screens back then. Google and Facebook are algorithmic media companies and should be treated as such (like traditional, editorial media companies), instead of giving them completely free hands to frame the debate around how they are "platforms," some new entity that they themselves define, as if they were above society. This situation is hard to walk back, but I applaud the AUS gov for trying.
Yes, this would (could/should?) also apply to smaller sites that make money by aggregating traffic based on the original work of others and monetizing the attention. We can start imagining what that could look like and how to implement it. Instead of "GUVERMENT IS BAD" knee-jerk reactions, this should be exciting: what would an internet look like that would have compensation of content creators among the first principles?
Yes, this would (could/should?) also apply to smaller sites that make money by aggregating traffic based on the original work of others and monetizing the attention. We can start imagining what that could look like and how to implement it. Instead of "GUVERMENT IS BAD" knee-jerk reactions, this should be exciting: what would an internet look like that would have compensation of content creators among the first principles?