Facebook has gone nuclear by banning all Australian news websites and their pages. The reason why Facebook has taken such a wild step comes after the Australian government proposed new Media Bargaining law.
The new law would require Facebook to pay for links to Australian news stories. Therefore, Facebook has decided to restrict publishers and people in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content.
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.
— Stated by William Easton, Managing Director, Facebook Australia & New Zealand
Now with Australian news agencies banned from Facebook, it would be very hard for Australian users to keep up to date with the latest news and updates in Australia. Mostly when it comes to receiving the latest information about the COVID-19 pandemic that many follow on Facebook.
