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Facebook blocked the sharing of links to news websites in Australia last Wednesday in response to a new law.
The move has received swift backlash, but tech columnist Jason Aten stands by the tech giant. The company made an extremely smart business decision but completely botched the PR.
There are a lot of reasons not to like Facebook. There are privacy concerns, its history of leaking users data, or the fact that its algorithm has played a huge role in spreading misinformation and divisive content in the US.
Facebook Dubbed Bully as Backlash Grows over Dispute with Australia
russiaherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from russiaherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Facebook unfriends Australia: uproar as news pages go dark – The Zimbabwe Mail
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Action escalates dispute over planned Australian law Law would require Facebook to share revenues from news (Adds Facebook comment about Frydenberg call, details on enforcement)
SYDNEY, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Facebook faced backlash from publishers and politicians on Thursday after blocking news feeds in Australia in a surprise escalation of a dispute with the government over a law to require it to share revenue from news.
Facebook wiped out pages from Australian state governments and charities as well as from domestic and international news organisations, three days before the launch of a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination programme.
Though the measure was limited to Australia, European publishers along with British and Canadian politicians described it as an attempt to put pressure on governments that might consider similar measures.