‘UNFRIEND AUSTRALIA’

Facebook Hits Australia With Dramatic Ban on Sharing News Articles

It appears to be the most restrictive move Facebook has ever taken against content publishers anywhere in the world.

Facebook has banned news—yes, all news—in Australia. The dramatic decision is the latest escalation in a fight over a proposed Australian law that would force tech giants pay for news content on their platforms. To protest that effort, Facebook has announced that people and publishers in Australia are banned from sharing or seeing any news outlets. According to CNN, it’s the most restrictive move Facebook has ever taken against content publishers anywhere in the world, and it didn’t just hit news outlets. Fire and emergency services, domestic-violence charities, and state health agencies also had their pages restricted—although Facebook has vowed to restore any pages that were accidentally affected. Prime Minister Scott Morrison reacted angrily to the decision, writing on Facebook that the company’s decision to “unfriend Australia” was both “arrogant” and “disappointing.” He added: “We simply won’t be intimidated.”