[News]Facebook blocks your access to news in Australia

[SougarLord]

 

CANBERRA (AP) - In an unexpected act of retaliation, Facebook on Thursday in Australia blocked the option for its users to share news, escalating a fight with the government over whether powerful technology companies should have to pay news organizations. for its content.

 

The Australian government condemned the decision, which also prevented some government communications, such as the dissemination of messages about emergency services and some commercial pages.

 

Digital platforms fear that the situation in Australia will become a costly precedent for other countries as governments renew laws to catch up with the changing digital world.

 

Facebook took the move after the House of Representatives passed a bill that would force Facebook and Google to pay for Australian journalism, Treasury Secretary Josh Frydenberg said. The official added that Facebook acted without prior notice. The bill must pass the Senate to become law.

 

As a result of Facebook's move, Australian news organizations were unable to post stories on their platform and people attempting to share existing news received notifications saying they were unable to do so.

 

"This post cannot be shared," read a message on Facebook. “In response to Australian government legislation, Facebook restricts the posting of news links and all posting of news pages in Australia. Globally, the publication and exchange of news links from Australian publications are restricted, ”he added.

 

The legislation mentioned in the notice, however, has yet to be enacted.

 

"Facebook's actions were unnecessary, they were disproportionately strong and will damage its reputation here in Australia," Frydenberg said.

 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison lashed out at the move on his own Facebook page.

 

"Facebook's actions to eliminate Australia today, cutting off essential health information services and emergency services, were as arrogant as they were disappointing," Morrison wrote.

 

“These actions only confirm the concerns that a growing number of countries are expressing about the behavior of large technology companies that they believe are bigger than governments and that the rules should not apply to them. They may be changing the world, but that doesn't mean they rule it, ”he added. "We will not be intimidated by BigTechs that seek to pressure our Parliament," he added.

 

Facebook alleges that the Australian bill "fundamentally misinterprets the relationship between our platform and the publications that use it."

 

"This is an attack on a sovereign nation," said Health Minister Greg Hunt. "It is an attack on the freedom of the people and, in particular, it is a blatant abuse of market power and control over the technology of big technology," he added, speaking to Parliament.

 

Both Google and Facebook have threatened retaliation if Australia passes the so-called News Media Negotiation Code, which the government says will ensure that the media receive fair payment for broadcasting their journalistic content on those platforms.

 

The Australian proposal imposes an arbitration system. The digital giants would not be able to use their dominant positions by making non-negotiable offers to news outlets for their content. If a media refuses to accept the agreement, the committee would make a binding decision.

 

Google had threatened to withdraw its search functions from Australia, claiming that the bill was unenforceable. However, their threats faded as the company signed content deals with Australian media, within its new News Showcase model.

 

The government accused Facebook of endangering public safety by temporarily blocking state emergency message services in a day with alerts for severe floods and fires in various parts of the country.

 

Frydenberg said he had "constructive" talks with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg after the lockdown began.

 

“He explained to Me that they had concerns with aspects of the code, and spoke about the interpretation of some of its elements. He will respond to me with more definite comments, ”said Frydenberg.

 

Frydenberg said his government remains committed to the code, which had led to generous deals with Google for Australian media.

 

He added that after his talks over the weekend with Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Inc. and his Google subsidiary, he was convinced that the platforms "want to get into these commercial deals."

 

"But if it were easy, all the countries in the world would have done it by now, but they haven't done it," he added.