US attacks Australia's 'extraordinary' plan to make Google and Facebook pay for news

Facebook users flocked to Twitter to complain about the ban, which also struck community pages, health departments, charities and politicians• Facebook blocks Australian users and publishers from viewing or sharing news • Blocking Australian news shows Facebook’s pledge to fight misinformation is farcicalAt 5.30am Australian east coast time, after months of threats and failed attempts to lobby the government over proposed new media laws, Facebook banned the sharing of news in Australia.The first to notice were morning news producers. The main page of the national broadcaster, ABC, was down. Guardian Australia’s page was also down. Australians trying to post links to news publishers on their personal Facebook pages received an error message. Continue reading…

Facebook has made good on its threat to ban Australians from seeing or posting news content on its site in response to the federal government’s proposed news media code. As of Thursday morning, news publishers were unable to post content on pages, while articles were also blocked from being shared. In implementing its new ban, the social media giant also blocked a number of government departments, charities and its own page. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg lambasted the company, saying the social media giant’s ‘actions were unnecessary, they were heavy-handed, and they will damage its reputation here in Australia’Facebook blocks Australian users and publishers from viewing or sharing newsFacebook’s botched Australia news ban hits health departments, charities and its own pagesAustralia politics live: ‘Facebook was wrong’ to block pages in news ban, Josh Frydenberg says – question time Continue reading…

The PM says the social media giant’s move to block news on its platform in Australia will harden the resolve of his government• Emily Bell: Even for a company that specialises in PR disasters, Facebook has excelled with its Australian blackout• ‘Time to reactivate MySpace’: the day Australia woke up to a Facebook news blackoutThe Australian government has been blindsided by Facebook’s sudden blocking of news, government and information pages but says the “heavy-handed” move by the social network will not stop parliament from passing landmark laws to force tech giants to pay for journalism.The prime minister, Scott Morrison, took to Facebook on Thursday to argue the platform’s decision would “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”. Continue reading…

Google Australia’s managing director Mel Silva has told a Senate committee the tech giant could remove its search engine from Australia if a code forcing the companies to negotiate payments to news media companies goes ahead. The threat comes as Google and Facebook are fighting against legislation currently before the parliament that would force the digital platforms to enter into negotiations with news media companies for payment for content. Prime minister Scott Morrison says his government will not respond to threats. ‘Australia makes our rules for things you can do in Australia,’ he says. ‘And that’s how things work here in Australia and people who want to work with that, in Australia, you’re very welcome’Google threatens to shut down search in Australia if digital news code goes ahead Continue reading…

Company says it has made decision ‘with a heavy heart’ in response to proposed media bargaining code News Corp agrees deal with Google over payments for journalismFacebook says it will restrict publishers and users in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content.The social media giant said in a blog post that the move was in response to the federal government’s proposed legislation to create a news media bargaining code. Continue reading…