Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images This story is part of a group of stories called Uncovering and explaining how our digital world is changing and changing us.
Facebook’s sudden move on Wednesday to cut Australians off from the news (and the rest of the world from Australian news) was as surprising as it was draconian. It blocked Australians from sharing any news links, Australian news publications from hosting their content on the platform, and the rest of us from sharing links to Australian news sites. It also may be a preview of how the platform will respond to the almost-certain future attempts to regulate its business not just in Australia, but all over the world.