At Media Party, Ester Borges presents research from the Momentum Journalism and Tech Task Force focused on turning taxes on big digital platforms into a tool to strengthen journalism. Borges calls out big tech companies for generating immense revenue in the Global South while paying almost no taxes in the region by exploiting legal loopholes or shifting profits to other jurisdictions. Given this, the specialist argues that companies must start paying taxes in the countries where they actually derive their value.
Facing the slowness of international agreements like those from the G20, the study proposes moving forward with national measures, such as a sector-specific contribution in Brazil that earmarks collected revenue for a specific purpose. Three key takeaways emerge from this research: the urgency of forming coalitions with legal experts and civil society; the need to link resources directly to local journalism, innovation, and fact-checking (preventing them from being diluted into general government funds); and the premise that journalism is an indispensable public good for democracy.
Borges concludes that digital taxation is not merely a technical topic, but a democratic imperative, as unregulated concentration of power undermines the right to information. Finally, she warns that no Latin American country can fight this battle alone—noting that neither Brazil nor Mexico can do it on their own—and urges the building of regional coalitions to achieve a fairer, more pluralistic, and innovative media ecosystem.
Don’t miss the full presentation! Watch Ester Borges’s Lightning Talk at Media Party 2025 (English subtitles available).
Speaker Profile
Ester Borges
Research Director, Momentum
