Facebook restored access to news content in Australia after lawmakers agreed to make certain changes to a new law that would require tech platforms to pay news organizations for content. Facebook initially blocked users in Australia from viewing or sharing news content last Thursday in response to the legislation.
More context: Australian regulators proposed the law last year in an effort to address “bargaining power imbalances” between news companies and tech platforms. Facebook criticized the law, noting that the company generates referral traffic worth over $300M to Australian publishers.
Extra: Google (which is also subject to the law) previously suggested it could stop making Google Search available in Australia if the legislation is passed, but has started forming content partnerships with news companies (e.g. News Corp).
The New Paper
This story is from the February 23, 2021 edition of The New Paper – a clear, concise daily briefing that makes fact-first news easy to consume. Try it today.
