News Media Code by Australian federal government hasirked social media giants like Facebook and search engine Google. However,Facebook has blocked sharing, posting and seeing of news on the socialnetworking site. The prompt- 'What's on your mind?' now will be restrictedbecause people will not be allowed to post anything or everything as far asnews is concerned on their timelines.
Managing director of the company in Australia has saidthat users of Facebook won't be allowed to see or post news including theinternational news content.
In a blog post published on Thursday, William Easton,Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand said, "In responseto Australia’s proposed new Media Bargaining law, Facebook will restrict publishersand people in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian andinternational news content."
Easton further added, "The proposed lawfundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform andpublishers who use it to share news content. It has left us facing a starkchoice: attempt to comply with a law that ignores the realities of thisrelationship, or stop allowing news content on our services in Australia. Witha heavy heart, we are choosing the latter."
Users are being shown error when they try to upload anynews post or links. Moreover, the news websites left with no posts in Australiaas on Thursday.
Easton added in the blog, "In fact, and as we havemade clear to the Australian government for many months, the value exchangebetween Facebook and publishers runs in favor of the publishers — which is thereverse of what the legislation would require the arbitrator to assume. Lastyear Facebook generated approximately 5.1 billion free referrals to Australianpublishers worth an estimated AU$407 million."
Josh Frydenberg, Treasurer, Deputy leader of the Liberalparty, Federal Member of Kooyong in a tweet said, "This morning, I had a constructive discussion with MarkZuckerberg from #Facebook.He raised a few remaining issues with the Government’s news media bargainingcode and we agreed to continue our conversation to try to find a pathwayforward."
The news media code willlikely to have several effects for Google as well. The Internet search enginegiant had also threatened to pull out of Australia but it has signed a deal withabout Nine Media houses in Australia worth $30 million a year.