[News] Facebook reverses ban on news pages in Australia after facing criticism

Social media giant, Facebook has announced it will restore news content to its users in Australia.

Facebook blocked news to Australians on its platform since last Thursday over a dispute over a proposed law which would force it and Google to pay news publishers for content on the platform.

 

After Facebook announced last week it will stop showing news content to Australians they faced massive backlash with other countries threatening to join Australia in demanding Facebook pays for news content.

 

Facebook has now reversed it’s ban.

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg had told him the ban would end “in the coming days”, after the pair had talks.

Frydenberg said amendments would be made to the law.

“Facebook has re-friended Australia,” he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday, February 23.

The Australian government passed a news code aiming to set up a “fairer” negotiation process between the tech giants and news companies over the value of news content.

 

Facebook argued it had been forced to block Australian news in response to the proposed legislation.

But the Australian government says the code is needed to “level the playing field” for news publishers, which have seen profits slump in the internet age.

“Going forward, the government has clarified we will retain the ability to decide if news appears on Facebook so that we won’t automatically be subject to forced negotiation,” said Campbell Brown, vice president of global news partnerships at Facebook.

“We have come to an agreement that will allow us to support the publishers we choose to, including small and local publishers.”