Feb 18, 2021

Facebook Australia: Tech giant faces growing criticism over news ban

Facebook is facing mounting criticism after it blocked news content in Australia amid a dispute with the government over a planned law. Under Facebook's new rules, Australian users are blocked from viewing and sharing local and international news, while local publishers are restricted from sharing or posting any links on their pages. People outside the country are also unable to read or access any Australian news publications on the site. The head of Germany's BDZV news publishers' association said it was "High time that governments all over the world limit the market power of the gatekeeper platforms". "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," Mr Easton wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.

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