https://about.fb.com/news/2021/02/changes-to-sharing-and-viewing-news-on-facebook-in-australia/ Changes to Sharing and Viewing News on Facebook in Australia February 17, 2021 By William Easton, Managing Director, Facebook Australia & New Zealand In response to Australia’s proposed new Media Bargaining law, Facebook will restrict publishers and people in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content. The proposed law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers who use it to share news content. It has left us facing a stark choice: attempt to comply with a law that ignores the realities of this relationship, or stop allowing news content on our services in Australia. With a heavy heart, we are choosing the latter.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/ Facebook Blocks News From Australia – Yes, The Entire Country Australian officials are pushing back against the totalitarian grip of Big Tech. {Go Deep} As a result of investigations into Google and Facebook the Australian government is set to establish fines against tech companies for anti-trust violations. However, some officials are now discussing taking actions that are beyond civil lawsuits, and are now advocating for arrest of company officers for unlawful conduct. {Go Deep}
No one in Australia can publish or share any news on the FB platform. Furthermore, no one in Australia can even view news from any source including international news. Furthermore, no one in any country can share news that was published in Australia.
https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/australia-strips-googlefacebook-to A few weeks ago, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) dropped a giant report on the power of Google and Facebook, the result of an eighteen month investigation known as the “Digital Platforms Inquiry.” Those of us who pay close attention to antitrust and big tech were looking forward to the results of the investigation, because the ACCC is a pace-setter in global antitrust action. One of the subtexts of the fight over big tech is how antitrust enforcement has gone global. I’ve already discussed how Russia beat back Google and created a competitive search market. There are investigations all over the world examining big tech, with reports having come out or coming out from the United Kingdom, Germany, the EU, France, Israel, and Japan, as well as lawsuits from enforcers, including at a state level in the U.S. This Australian report will be foundational for enforcers going forward, on the key questions of democracy, advertising, journalism, and big tech platforms. And when the U.S. finally gets serious, our enforcers will have a large body of knowledge available, thanks to the British-prisoners-turned-into-the-nation-of-Australia. What the ACCC got right and got wrong is what I’m writing about today.
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/17/9687...ver-government-plan-to-force-payment-to-publi Facebook Blocks News In Australia Over Government Plan To Force Payment To Publishers Facebook said Wednesday that it is preventing people inside Australia from accessing news stories on its platform. In addition, Facebook users elsewhere will not be able to view or share news stories from Australian outlets. The moves are a response to proposed legislation that would force social media platforms to pay Australian news organizations for links shared on its sites.
Google took a different approach.... they are paying billions to selected mainstream news publishers. First up - Murdoch's News Corp. Google to pay Murdoch's News Corporation for stories BBC - https://tinyurl.com/1obwu0ba
I am still shocked that Google agreed to a deal with Murdoch's company. But, I am assuming that Newcorp is probably the largest publisher in AU.
Zuckerberg has blood on his hands. https://www.zerohedge.com/technolog...avy-handed-news-ban-threatening-public-health The pushback and reaction to Facebook's drastic 'retaliation' on the Australian government has been fierce from both officials and the broader public in the hours following the Wednesday decision of the US-based social media platform to block all news sharing on the continent. Australian officials are warning that Facebook's actions are severely damaging the ability to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Facebook announcement came a day after on Tuesday the current session of parliament vowed to implement the so-called "News Media Bargaining Code" by end of next week. The controversial legislation will force major US-based internet companies to begin paying local Australian publishers for use of their content. Aussies are now barred from posting, sharing or even viewing news content on Facebook whatsoever in a move that Google had previously threatened with its search engine. According to FT the ban has already "restricted access to critical public information on government health and emergency service sites on Thursday."