The country wanted to force internet platforms to pay for the news items produced by editors. Facebook pulls the plug.
It became the feared nuclear option: Facebook announced on Wednesday evening, European time, that it would block all news sites in Australia. Australian media houses can no longer post stories under their brands, and users are no longer allowed to place links to news sites.
Planned change in law as an occasion
With this frontal attack, Facebook is reacting to a planned change in the law in Australia. It had been announced in December that the Internet giant would be asked to pay for it in the future if it made money with journalistic content from Australian media companies.
Most important marketplace
The move is doubly bitter for Australia: As a result, the citizens of one of the most important marketplaces lose the opportunity to exchange information on the latest news. In addition, many media companies that rely on the distribution on the largest social media platforms in the world are losing important sources of income and distribution opportunities. Google had also announced that it would consider consistencies for the law.
