Facebook reverses news ban - 1st March 2021

Facebook has withdrawn its ban on Australian users accessing or sharing news content via its platform. The controversial move caused much alarm over reduced availability of key information.

The decision came in response to a new law proposed by Australia's conservative government. This legislation would see media outlets receive payment from tech giants Facebook and Google for news content on their platforms.

Australian authorities intend to "level the playing field" between the tech giants and struggling publishers in regards to profits. In recent years, the media has lost a huge amount of advertising revenue to the US tech firms. Currently, of every A$100 spent on digital advertising, A$81 goes to Google and Facebook.

Google and Facebook hit back at the Australian government’s plans. They said the law ignores the realities of the internet. However, Google subsequently signed payment deals with three major Australian media outlets.

Facebook said the law left it "facing a stark choice" between attempting to comply with the law or restricting news content in Australia. It initially opted for the latter and as a result, no Australian news publication was available via the platform - even for users outside the country.

The ban sparked an immediate backlash, with many Australians furious about their sudden loss of access to trusted and authoritative sources. Several pointed out that Facebook was one crucial way that people received emergency updates about the pandemic and national disaster situations.

The Australian authorities showed no sign of backing down. "We will legislate this code. We want the digital giants paying traditional news media businesses for generating original journalistic content," explained Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

Facebook has since reached an agreement with the Australian authorities. After the government made some changes to the legislation, Facebook agreed to restore news to Australian pages.