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Facebook unyielding!!! Blocking all news from Australian media
Facebook started to move by blocking news from Australian publishers after Australia passed Media Code and require payment to the media. It has affected Facebook users in Australia as they cannot receive news from their country.
Charging for the content’s fee and enforcing the Media Code by Australia may not seem an easy feat as there are several oppositions. Lately, on 18 February 2021, Facebook has made its move by blocking news from all Australian publishers, from both news companies, and pages from government agencies. When visiting the Facebook page of news publishers in Australia, it will show a blank page. Facebook also blocked local authorities’ pages, such as pages of the State Health Departments and the Bureau of Meteorology.
Paul Fletcher, Australian Minister for Communications, responded through ABC News that “This reaction from Facebook is serious and warned that Facebook should consider this reaction carefully as it will impact on reputation and standpoint of Facebook itself.”. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, “Facebook has ‘unfriended’ Australia by cutting off channels to essential information and communication were as arrogant as they were disappointing.”.
Facebook has previously interviewed that this law is unfair to Facebook and might encourage businesses on arbitrary pricing. The enactment of the Media Code by Australia is not helping the media industry in Australia but worsens the damage. The law that Australia wishes to impose is “full of ambiguity” as it could not clearly define what exactly “news content” means.
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This movement from Facebook caused heavy criticisms in Australia as Australians no longer have a reliable source of information during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, not to mention that this is also a wildfire season in Australia. The Australian Department of Communications in Canberra has made a statement that the Government did not receive prior notice of Facebook’s decision and now demands that Facebook restore the system’s connection as soon as possible.
However, Facebook’s move came around the same time as the Australian House of Representatives are “in the final step” of the consideration and approval of the law on the topic of that technology companies have to reach compensation agreements with domestic news agencies or content producers before publishing the information on the platform for commercial benefits. The law is likely to receive the vote in favor as the labor party, which is the main opposition party, sends a supporting signal.
British, Canadian, French, and Indian leaders have expressed their support for the Australian on the law. As of now, the world is paying attention to what Australia is doing; that is why they want Facebook to get involved creatively as they know Australia’s action is likely make other Western nations follow along.
Nevertheless, many giant technology companies began to negotiate on payments to local news agencies and TV stations when those media contents are used. If they cannot reach an agreement, the Australian Government’s arbitral tribunal will decide on the content pricing and decide which party’s proposal is “more appropriate”. If the agreement has been jointly signed and technology companies, Facebook and Google, as they are identified in the law, are in breach of the agreement, they could be facing civil lawsuits. The damages may lead up to 10 million Australian Dollars (approximately 233.47 million Baht).
Simultaneously, the law also requires technology businesses to notify news agencies in advance when there is a change in algorithm system that affects the visibility of news content on the platform. Also, the owners of social networks and search services must share basic information on the consumer usage who views news content on the platform. In the future, the names of businesses other than Facebook and Google may be added to the law.
Minister of Canadian Heritage, Steven Guilbeault, said that Canada would use the Australian method and enact the law in the coming months. Regardless, Australia’s House of Representatives has passed a law that forces Facebook and Google to pay local media companies or face a mandatory arbitration. It is expected that the senators will vote in favor of the law within the next week. Meanwhile, Josh Frydenberg, Australia’s federal treasurer, stated on Twitter that he spoke with Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer or CEO of Facebook, for a second time after Facebook blocked all news content in Australia. There will be another discussion this weekend.
From this story, the ’emerging media’ has recently become influential to the point where ‘old media or mainstream media’ has to adjust, especially in their presentation format, to attract more attention from consumers. Preliminary data from the Australian online media commissioner stated that nearly one-third of every 100 Australian Dollars (about 2,333.36 Baht) spend on online advertising, except for small ads, are going into Facebook and Google’s wallet. This is one reason why Australia enacts Media Code as a measure against trade monopoly and decreasing online media’s influence as it is increasingly expanding. Nevertheless, the Australian Government insists on continuing to enforce this law regardless of criticisms from many parties. For more news, please follows www.thac.or.th.
Source: https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/923192
https://www.dailynews.co.th/foreign/826081
https://www.naewna.com/inter/554133
