Group defends recent action in the dispute over blocked content.
Facebook has defended the controversial blockade of news content in Australia and at the same time announced a billions in payments to the media industry. The Australian law, which triggered the sharp reaction of the online network, is based on a “fundamentally wrong understanding of the relationship between Facebook and the media industry,” wrote policy chief Nick Clegg in a blog entry on Wednesday.
The Internet has changed the business of the media and some market participants are struggling with the change, he argued. “It's understandable that some media outlets would view Facebook as a potential source of money to offset their losses, but does that mean they can ask for a blank check?” But the Australian law was the same, wrote Clegg. “It would be like forcing automakers to fund broadcasters because people could hear them in their cars – and let the broadcasters determine the price.”
Last week, Facebook blocked news content on its platform from Australian users. Official storm warnings or information on the corona pandemic were also partially blocked – due to a misconfiguration, as it was said. After a compromise with the government, the lock was lifted. The Australian Senate passed the bill on Wednesday.
Clegg emphasized that Facebook has invested around $ 600 million in supporting the media industry since 2018. At least one billion dollars should follow in the next three years.
