Facebook blocks news sites, charities, government pages in Australia
As Australian authorities pursue a plan to have Big Tech companies pay news sites, Facebook shut down all pages that could be even vaguely be described as news ones.
As it has previously threatened to do, Facebook has removed news pages in Australia. It follows continued progress by authorities toward a proposed system of charging social media firms.
Alongside pages from news organizations, however, Facebook also shut down some charities, plus emergency services and health pages. According to Reuters, Facebook has since restored the government-owned pages, but very many others remain inaccessible to users in Australia.
"Facebook's actions to unfriend Australia today, cutting off essential information services on health and emergency services, were as arrogant as they were disappointing," said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison -- in a post on Facebook.
"These actions will only confirm the concerns that an increasing number of countries are expressing about the behaviour of BigTech companies who think they are bigger than governments and that the rules should not apply to them," he continued. "They may be changing the world, but that doesn't mean they run it."
"We will not be intimidated by BigTech seeking to pressure our Parliament as it votes on our important News Media Bargaining Code," said Prime Minister Morrison. "Just as we weren't intimidated when Amazon threatened to leave the country and when Australia drew other nations together to combat the publishing of terrorist content on social media platforms."
"I encourage Facebook to constructively work with the Australian Government, as Google recently demonstrated in good faith," he concluded.
According to BBC News, Western Australia Premier Mark MCGowan described Facebook as "behaving like a North Korean dictator."
In a statement seen by Reuters, Facebook explained that the blocking of government pages should not have happened, but that it is unable to restore other affected pages.
"[As] the law does not provide clear guidance on the definition of news content," the statement continued, "we have taken a broad definition."
These other affected pages include a mothers' group called North Shore Mums which has 35,000 followers. Organizer Rachel Chappel says Facebook's move has "completely shaken" her.
"We're a mum's website," she said. "We are small and niche. This is not fair. I think they are just bullies. They are shooting themselves in the foot.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison protested Facebook's move -- on Facebook
Peter Lewis, director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Responsible Technology told Reuters that the move "is destroying its social licence to operate."
"Without fact-based news to anchor it, Facebook will become little more than a cute cats and conspiracy theories [page]," he said. "If Facebook determines to treat Australians with such contempt, Australians should respond by ending its use of Facebook and using alternate ways to connect online."
If fully implemented, Australia's ongoing proposal would "allow news media businesses to bargain individually or collectively with Google and Facebook over payment for the inclusion of news on their services." As well as negotiating payment, the proposal would require Facebook or Google to provide news organizations with advance warning of changes to algorithms.
Facebook has previously claimed that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)'s draft proposal "ignored important facts." These included what Facebook described as its investments in Australian news companies that amount to millions of dollars.
As it has previously threatened to do, Facebook has removed news pages in Australia. It follows continued progress by authorities toward a proposed system of charging social media firms.
Alongside pages from news organizations, however, Facebook also shut down some charities, plus emergency services and health pages. According to Reuters, Facebook has since restored the government-owned pages, but very many others remain inaccessible to users in Australia.
"Facebook's actions to unfriend Australia today, cutting off essential information services on health and emergency services, were as arrogant as they were disappointing," said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison -- in a post on Facebook.
"These actions will only confirm the concerns that an increasing number of countries are expressing about the behaviour of BigTech companies who think they are bigger than governments and that the rules should not apply to them," he continued. "They may be changing the world, but that doesn't mean they run it."
"We will not be intimidated by BigTech seeking to pressure our Parliament as it votes on our important News Media Bargaining Code," said Prime Minister Morrison. "Just as we weren't intimidated when Amazon threatened to leave the country and when Australia drew other nations together to combat the publishing of terrorist content on social media platforms."
"I encourage Facebook to constructively work with the Australian Government, as Google recently demonstrated in good faith," he concluded.
According to BBC News, Western Australia Premier Mark MCGowan described Facebook as "behaving like a North Korean dictator."
In a statement seen by Reuters, Facebook explained that the blocking of government pages should not have happened, but that it is unable to restore other affected pages.
"[As] the law does not provide clear guidance on the definition of news content," the statement continued, "we have taken a broad definition."
These other affected pages include a mothers' group called North Shore Mums which has 35,000 followers. Organizer Rachel Chappel says Facebook's move has "completely shaken" her.
"We're a mum's website," she said. "We are small and niche. This is not fair. I think they are just bullies. They are shooting themselves in the foot.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison protested Facebook's move -- on Facebook
Peter Lewis, director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Responsible Technology told Reuters that the move "is destroying its social licence to operate."
"Without fact-based news to anchor it, Facebook will become little more than a cute cats and conspiracy theories [page]," he said. "If Facebook determines to treat Australians with such contempt, Australians should respond by ending its use of Facebook and using alternate ways to connect online."
If fully implemented, Australia's ongoing proposal would "allow news media businesses to bargain individually or collectively with Google and Facebook over payment for the inclusion of news on their services." As well as negotiating payment, the proposal would require Facebook or Google to provide news organizations with advance warning of changes to algorithms.
Facebook has previously claimed that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)'s draft proposal "ignored important facts." These included what Facebook described as its investments in Australian news companies that amount to millions of dollars.
Comments
I’m Australian and we have a right wing government here, many of whose members are big Trump fans with the usual science-deriding, climate change denying, anti-minority etc.. positions.
The primary news organisation in Australia that backs them is News Corp (of your American Fox News infamy). Here in Australia, they’re losing money hand over fist and Murdoch has long complained about Google & FB eating up "his" ad revenue. The government is concerned that their major backer’s future is clouded so decided to implement this law as a wealth transfer from FB & Google to News (and other major outlets that also happen to be friendly to the government such as Nine/Fairfax and Seven West Media.).
Its basically extortion, FB & Google have no choice but to link to the News sites and pay the news sites for the privilege. The amount to be determined by a government appointed arbitrator. The news companies were claiming billions for their "costs", not the value they actually provide. They're demanding the right to post the articles on FB and that FB MUST PAY THEM for the privilege! As much as I hate FB, no business can operate under these conditions. In fact, they'd be insane to.
The news organisations here are so arrogant and entitled that they’re outraged at FB and demanding it reinstate them!
Also, no one knows more about internet traffic than FB and Google. Their ad tracking networks are all pervasive and they track even when you’re not logged into them or even a member! Can’t wait for iOS 14.5 to stop that, but this means that they know exactly the kind of traffic flows that occur and are able to predict what will happen from this action.
To cut a long story short, FB knows that this will not materially affect them here in Australia, but it will affect the news organisations.
Facebook let share some news content. When the government wanted the Facebook to pay for it, Facebook switch this content from its service.
So that it won't pay for it.
Now people complain the Facebook did something wrong.
I don't get it. Why are people against Facebook in this case? That's the government who pushed Facebook to that move.
Disclaimer: I am usually against Facebook and think they are discussing in their behaviour in many cases, including there attacks on Apple regarding privacy features.
But in this case I am frustrated with the politicians and people who want something from the Facebook and then blame it for their own actions.
From the article, “We're a mum's website," she said. "We are small and niche. This is not fair. I think they are just bullies. They are shooting themselves in the foot.”
Her opinion, that they are just bullies, seems quite on target regarding Facebook and Zuckerberg.
Also, this collectivist nonsense of lumping media companies like Facebook into the same category as Apple, under the term “Big Tech” strikes me as increasingly perverse. I certainly recognize the classic divide and conquer approach to politics that is common in any Democracy or Democratic Republic; but the lumping together of antagonistic entities still strikes me as perverse.
Disclaimer: I am no fan of Facebook and use it only when necessary and would live an alternative.
It’s a private company that built a platform for people to share content or whatever with friends and family right? The news outlets saw Facebook as a way to gain more of an audience right? The advertisers get more impressions on Facebook because so many people use it so they spend more there right? Now the news outlets want the government to force Facebook to pay them? Can’t they just take their content off Facebook and pass legislation that says Facebook or any social media outlets can’t show news content? They can say because it’s third hand or that Facebook and other social media outlets don’t have investigative reporters so they aren’t a qualified source. If Facebook wants the content THEN they have to pay for it like streaming services have to pay for content. Facebook can always build their own news service or start partnerships like Apple does for news content.
Rail all you want about how despicable FarceBook can be, but they are within their rights to take this action, however hypocritical it might be. Facebook is no more required to carry content on their platform than Apple is.
and nobody called Bruce. Ever.
You need to read and understand what the Australian government is doing - demanding that Facebook (any online source) PAY any other online source, when the show a link to that other online source. That just can't work for the internet. It breaks a fundamental of the internet.
So if you have a web site/blog, and want to post a link to a "news" article? $$$$ - you have to pay the owner of that other web news article - WTF?!?!?!?
Does your local News TV station in the US have to pay the owner of a news web site when they link/talk about it? NO.
Paying to link to another web article just breaks the internet. And the Australian government is just arbitrarily setting the payment rate/cost.