(GNB Desk): Australians will be restricted from sharing or viewing news articles on Facebook, following the country’s proposed landmark regulatory measure that would force tech giants to pay Australian news organizations for using their content.
On Wednesday, Facebook announced its decision to block Australian users from viewing or sharing Australian or international news content on its platform. That includes content from Australian and international news page.
Facebook’s decision means Australian news publishers will no longer be able to share stories on the social media site, and international news won’t be visible or shareable by local Facebook users, while overseas Facebook users also won’t be able to read or share Australian content.
“The proposed law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers who use it to share news content”, Facebook Australia and New Zealand managing director William Easton wrote in the Facebook’s blog. 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.
Easton said the move was in reaction to the Federal Government’s plans to create a news media bargaining code.
Easton said admins would still be able to access other features from their Facebook page, including Page insights and Creator Studio.
He said international news publishers would be able to continue publishing news content on Facebook, but links and posts would not be able to be viewed or shared by Australian audiences.
People outside of Australia won’t be able to share Australian news content on Facebook or content from Australian news pages.
The policy changes come as Parliament was due to pass a media law that would make Facebook, as well as Google, pay for news content on their platforms.
The bill passed the Australian House of Representatives today and is believed to have enough votes to pass the Senate, The New York Times reported. The bill also targets Google, which at one point last month threatened to leave the country entirely. However, Google has since decided to start cutting deals with major Australian media organizations, like Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., to comply. Facebook, it appears, will not follow suit — for now.
Australian lawmakers have said they would avoid passing the new law if Google and Facebook reached payment terms with Australian news publishers on their own.
Facebook’s announcement comes just hours after rival Google, which was also subject to the same law, announced it struck a multiyear deal with News Corp., the largest owner of newspapers by circulation in Australia, to pay for its content.
The policy change from Facebook will have stark consequences for both users and media organizations. Easton’s blog post outlines four distinct categories that will be affected and in what ways:
- Australian publishers: “They are restricted from sharing or posting any content on Facebook Pages. Admins will still be able to access other features from their Facebook Page, including Page insights and Creator Studio. We will continue to provide access to all other standard Facebook services, including data tools and CrowdTangle.”
- International publishers: “They can continue to publish news content on Facebook, but links and posts can’t be viewed or shared by Australian audiences.”
- Australian users: “They cannot view or share Australian or international news content on Facebook or content from Australian and international news Pages.”
- International users: “They cannot view or share Australian news content on Facebook or content from Australian news Pages.”
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