Facebook restricts all Australian news from its platform
After Australian government passed a law that social media platforms like Facebook and Google would pay for their news feed to appear in Australia, social media giant Facebook has halted all Australian news.
Australian media organisations will be refrained from posting content to the platform from February 18. All users will be blocked locally and internationally from seeing or sharing Australian-produced news.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has joined its Australian affiliate the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) and condemned a move that gravely threatens press freedom in the country.
Facebook took the step to block in response to the proposed News Media Bargaining Code.
The matter is being discussed in Parliament, which would need tech giants to pay for Australian news shared on forums like Facebook and Google.
Today as Australian users tied to post links from news sites on the platform experienced an error.
All news material was removed from the Facebook pages of Australian news outlets.
Even the national broadcaster, public broadcaster the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC), commercial media, and more 9 Entertainment Co, 7 West Media, including Guardian Australia.
Several important Australian ‘non-news’ organizations were also affected by the arbitrary blocking including trade unions, government and public health pages, and domestic violence hotline sites.
