Facebook has restricted news publishers, and everyday Aussies, from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content.
The Australian government’s proposed new media bargaining code requires Facebook and Google to pay media companies for their content. And it could become law as soon as next week
But Facebook Australia reckons the code “fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between Facebook and publishers who use it to share news content.”
So basically, Facebook has said to itself, ‘we have two options here…’
Before yesterday, the discussions have been tense… but productive.
And then yesterday morning, Facebook went NUCLEAR. They decided to remove news content from ALL news outlets and other organisations on Facebook who were collateral damage.
We're talking Bureau of Meteorology, health departments and small, independent businesses.
The Australian government’s hardcore stance on Facebook is likely to inspire other countries around the world to take similar action. Australia’s media bargaining code is a pretty intense example of how governments have the capability to influence the relationship between big tech, the media industry and consumers.
What’s interesting is that Facebook is taking a hard line approach, while Google is keen to play nice and lock in deals with news outlets independently
The key difference between Facebook and Google though is that publishers actually add their content to Facebook, whereas Google just scoops it up and gives it to us in a little, clean, blue-text format
It's fair to say countries around the world are watching on with popcorn and bated breath.
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