"The publishers are obviously enhancing the value and integrity of Facebook through their news and content but are not being adequately rewarded for those services,"Mr Murdochsaid in January.

The News Corp executive chairman's comments were in response to an announcement by Facebook that it would reduce the amount of news in a user's feed,in favour of content from friends and family.

News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson has also persistently criticised Google and Facebook,describing them as dyfunctional and calling on them to share revenue with publishers.

US digital giants are fearful of being regulated like media companies. Google and Facebookused their submissions to the ACCC earlier this month to defend their role in the media.

Fairfax Media (publisher ofThe Sydney Morning Herald andThe Age) recently struck an advertising deal with Google.

In its own submission,it made a distinction between Google and other digital platforms. Fairfax said it had made “less progress” commercially with Facebook.

Despite an “exceptionally challenging” environment for journalism,Fairfax warns that asking the digital giants to pay for content,or for targeted taxes to subsidise public-interest journalism,was “impractical” and potentially risked editorial independence.

Fairfax described the role of digital platforms as “not entirely dissimilar” to the role of publishers and recommended that they should be “responsible for the content they amplify and distribute”.

The digital platforms have been increasingly uncomfortable about claims they are media companies rather than tech companies,with Facebook and Google regularly distancing themselves from the role of a publisher.