Discussion

• @mmasnick Mike Masnick on x

  I got tired of responding to every bad take regarding the Facebook Australia news on Twitter, and have now written a longer post about it. Just don't try to share it on FB in Australia. https://www.techdirt.com/...

• @sunriseon7 Sunrise on x

  “Facebook is a threat to democracy and to public health” Former Facebook investor and mentor to Mark Zuckerberg Roger McNamee (@moonalice) on the social media giant's decision to ban news in Australia. https://twitter.com/...

• @tostevinm Matthew Tostevin on x

  A different perspective: “This fight was not “Facebook v. Australia.” Or “Facebook v. journalism” even though some ignorant or dishonest people are making it out to be the case. This was always “Rupert Murdoch v. the open web.” https://www.techdirt.com/... via @Techdirt

• @bobbyallyn Bobby Allyn on x

  “This fight was not ‘Facebook v. Australia.’ Or ‘Facebook v. journalism’ even though some ignorant or dishonest people are making it out to be the case. This was always ‘Rupert Murdoch v. the open web.’ https://twitter.com/...

• @ohmdee @ohmdee on x

  Takeaway message: here is yet another piece of legislation written by politicians with zero technical knowledge, who also consulted nobody with technical knowledge. It was bound to be flawed. https://twitter.com/...

• @daphnehk Daphne Keller on x

  Apologies to those who wanted AU news poll results without having to vote. Here's a snapshot so far. Most interesting is the # of people who say FB has done more than expected for public interest (but that was a hard Q to articulate, so maybe these answers don't mean much). https…

• @jayrosen_nyu Jay Rosen on x

  In news and analysis about the Australian legislation in the “make the platforms pay for news” battle, I look for who mentions that legacy media use their remaining clout with politicians to bring pressure on tech— but also to exclude smaller and newer publishers from the deal.

• @slpng_giants_oz @slpng_giants_oz on x

  Government & various pundits screeching about Facebook robbing the public of credible information by blocking news sites in Australia. FB is evil but who published ARSON lies of the bushfires, SEX romp security guards lie & Sky News. Rupert Murdoch & News Corp! #Auspol

• @brantcooper Brant Cooper on x

  Society responds to these dilemmas exactly the wrong way. We tinker with system outcomes we don't like, unable to grok the myriad ramifications of the tinkering on other parts of the system. I dislike FB. But who is articulating the desired outcome other than FU FB? https://twitt…

• @djamesarmstrong David Armstrong on x

  I get the #facebook hate, but this is the best take on the facebook/google/Australia dust up I've seen. @techdirt @mmasnick https://www.techdirt.com/...

• @grogsgamut Greg Jericho on x

  There's almost universal reporting that Facebook has alienated/angered its users... but has it? I mean I have a lot of fairly politically/media addicted friends and my FB feed seems largely absent of anything approaching that

• @lachlan Lachlan Markay on x

  “But here, a bunch of lazy newspaper execs who failed to adapt and to figure out better internet business models not only want the traffic, they also want to get paid for it.” https://www.techdirt.com/...

• @clairlemon @clairlemon on x

  And I actually don't think it's about cash. It's about power. The media biz and politics biz has always been about power—cash is a secondary concern.

• @mmasnick Mike Masnick on x

  I just had to ring the bell hanging over my desk, as for the first time in my life, I've convinced someone to change their opinion on this here internet. https://twitter.com/...

• @djinni43142058 Djinni on x

  Enlighten me, please. Is this Facebook thing simply a way to give Murdoch even more control over what we see and hear? An even greater monopoly? Is that what is behind it?

• @andrewbartlett Andrew Bartlett on x

  Seeing Murdoch media repeatedly calling Facebook a bully with zero sense of irony is a sight to behold.

• @channel4news @channel4news on x

  “Every government is the Australian government, as we all face this unaccountable power in the same way - it is time for governments to wake up.” Author Shoshana Zuboff tells @krishgm that tech giants have control and authority of the world's knowledge. https://www.channel4.com/.…

• @hkanji Hussein Kanji on x

  We can argue about whether or not Facebook is “compatible with democracy” but the simple facts of the situation are that Australia - pushed heavily by Rupert Murdoch - has decided to put in place a plan to tax Google and Facebook for any links to news https://www.techdirt.com/...

• @benthompson Ben Thompson on x

  I think what is illuminating about this story is the breathtaking dishonesty of many Facebook critics. It's probably worth keeping in mind to what extent the “whatever side Facebook is on is the wrong one” heuristic applies to other more difficult to understand stories as well. h…

• @markscott82 Mark Scott on x

  How I feel about US lawmakers railing against @Facebook for pulling out of Australia amid spat over new laws that would force Big Tech players to pay local publishers for content. I know it's early in 2021. But is anything really going to move in DC on digital policymaking? https…

• @bradchacos B-rad Chacos on x

  Hear, hear! “First is the link tax. This is fundamentally against the principles of an open internet. The government saying that you can't link to a news site unless you pay a tax should be seen as inherently problematic for a long list of reasons.” https://twitter.com/...

• @chriskeall Chris Keall on x

  @Techmeme @mmasnick Is the author aware that FB has blocked a broad swathe of Australian govt, police charity, union, retailer and emergency service sites too in its broad-brush, automated news-blocking sweep? I don't support the legislation, but Facebook's reaction has been a ma…

• @evan_greer Evan Greer on x

  I agree that Facebook's business model is incompatible with democracy and basic human rights. But imposing a tax on linking to news articles is incompatible with an open Internet. Facebook has too much power. The Australian law is stupid. Pretty simple.. https://www.techdirt.com/…

• @randyebarnett Randy Barnett on x

  “Australia is saying it wants to tax links to news on Facebook, and Facebook responds in the exact way any reasonable economist would predict: it says that's just not worth it and bans links. That's not incompatible with democracy....” https://www.techdirt.com/...

• @wexler Nu Wexler on x

  “We may not like Facebook in the role of the defender of the open web ... But Facebook saying that it won't pay a link tax is a defense of the open web and against Rupert Murdoch. It's the right move ...” https://www.techdirt.com/...

• @mathewi Mathew Ingram on x

  I agree with @mmasnick on the law, but Facebook is the worst possible defender of the open web. It's like saying foxes are the best defenders of the chicken coop. FB has done everything possible to bury links, keep people inside their walled garden, and block interoperability htt…

• @mmasnick Mike Masnick on x

  Two years ago I asked if people wanted a better Facebook or a “dead” FB, and a *lot* of people said a dead FB. But after seeing how people responded to the Aussie news, I honestly think some people would argue FB shutting down was ALSO an “abuse of power” https://www.techdirt.com…

• @julianknight15 Julian Knight MP on x

  Crass and deeply irresponsible from Facebook. This gives a lie to all their warm words in recent years over their willingness to be a good citizen. Australia is the canary in the coal mine now as far as social media legislation is concerned. https://www.bbc.co.uk/...

• @marietjeschaake Marietje Schaake on x

  The q is what lobbying tricks big tech is willing to use (the law has not yet passed democratic Aus parliament), Facebook's willingness to lie about free speech while the game is $ and how FB has treated other legal requirements or de facto risks to users globally in comparison↘️…

• @eyevariety @eyevariety on x

  Next up: newspapers charge you to tweet their articles https://twitter.com/...

• @naijaflyingdr Dr Ola Brown on x

  A entire country telling you to no vex A flex https://twitter.com/...

• @kenroth Kenneth Roth on x

  Facebook wanted to make a point by depriving Australians of access to news on its site if the government was going to make it pay for offering news, but it acted irresponsibly, billing itself as a community bulletin board but removing key community notices https://www.nytimes.com…

• @mattyglesias Matthew Yglesias on x

  Petittion to get Facebook to ban news in America too https://twitter.com/...

• @grogsgamut Greg Jericho on x

  Also it is kind of instructive that the big thing yesterday was about making sure public/community pages were put back on, not news sites. So the anger was about BOM and health site, not news.

• @grogsgamut Greg Jericho on x

  So ok, FB cleans up the blocks and brings back the health sites etc and everyone is like, cool glad that problem is solved... ... so what was this about news sites?

• @grogsgamut Greg Jericho on x

  And tbh the fact that this has blocked Sky News and its videos of lies and hate that have been spread far and wide... Well you gotta say that is a big one for the plus column.

• @grogsgamut Greg Jericho on x

  Media orgs and the govt might like to think people are going to get angry at FB... I just think is a bit of a fantasy. It might actually turn out that FB is better without news - actually about connecting & sharing personal stuff rather than “this news is what I am angry about”

• @valkenburgh Peter Van Valkenburgh on x

  How great would it be if the result of removing news and government links from Australian Facebook was a new Australian golden age of mutual understanding and true innovation? https://twitter.com/...

• @carolecadwalla Carole Cadwalladr on x

  Well this is going well. I defer to Facebook's head of global comms @nick_clegg on the 4D chess moves behind this latest piece of genius https://twitter.com/...

• @chrismartin17 Chris Martin on x

  “Many are outraged but remain divided over what to do” should be Facebook's new tagline. https://twitter.com/...

• @pomeranian99 Clive Thompson on x

  A good synthesis of the three main ways Australians have responded to Facebook turning off news (and many other types of info): https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @widlore Widlore Mrancourt on x

  Facebook crushes competition. Passively participated in genocide. Spreads misinformation. Disturbs elections and the wellbeing of people. Now, this company is willing to bar people from critical information, during a pandemic so they don't pay for news! https://www.nytimes.com/..…

• @maximillian_alv Maximillian Alvarez on x

  This story is fucking nuts. Corporate domination of the internet is a disaster https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @shiraovide Shira Ovide on x

  If you read just one thing about Google, Facebook and Australia, @damiencave lays out the issues well here: https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @joshfrydenberg Josh Frydenberg on x

  This morning, I had a constructive discussion with Mark Zuckerberg from #Facebook. He raised a few remaining issues with the Government's news media bargaining code and we agreed to continue our conversation to try to find a pathway forward.

• @caseybriggs Casey Briggs on x

  Posts have been removed from the Queensland and SA health department Facebook pages https://twitter.com/...

• @emilybell Emily Bell on x

  Here is where the rubber hits the road for @facebook and it's civic intentions. (Forget the Oversight Board for one minute). It won't comply with a democratic government law which it doesn't agree with which costs it money - and removes all accredited publishers including PSBs ht…

• @caseynewton Casey Newton on x

  Australia's dumb and bad ‘bargaining code’ with platforms is coming soon to a country near you. So we should probably talk about how dumb and bad it is https://www.platformer.news/ ... https://twitter.com/...

• @max_fisher Max Fisher on x

  Facebook when its platform is a driving force for genocide vs Facebook when it faces possible regulation https://twitter.com/...

• @mikeisaac Rat King on x

  Big news: Hours after Google cut a deal with News Corp, Facebook pulls the trigger and restricts publishers and people from sharing news links in Australia https://about.fb.com/...

• @campbell_brown Campbell Brown on x

  We've reluctantly made the decision to restrict the availability of news on Facebook in Australia. Our goal was to find resolution that strengthened collaboration with publishers, but the legislation fails to recognize fundamental relationship between us & news organizations

• @mathewi Mathew Ingram on x

  Facebook unleashes the nuclear option in Australia: The company just announced it will block Australian news publishers and Australian users of Facebook from posting, viewing or sharing any news content whatsoever

• @maxchalm Max Chalmers on x

  The Facebook pages of Australia's major newspapers right now https://twitter.com/...

• @zenjournalist Andrew MacGregor Marshall on x

  The Australian government and media companies said Facebook was destroying their revenue by allowing news to be shared. So Facebook stopped sharing news, and now they are all outraged ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ https://www.platformer.news/ ...

• @rshivshankar Rahul Shivshankar on x

  Facebook's action to ‘unfriend’ Australia is undemocratic. All open democracies should unite to take a stand against Facebook's ‘cyber bullying’. https://www.smh.com.au/...

• @joshuawells93 Joshua Wells on x

  A lot of people are angry at Facebook. But redirect that to your local MP and Scott Morrison. The media laws proposed will further benefit large media outlets who will then put stories under pay walls - kinda like what's happening. Independents are the ones who lose here.

• @clairlemon @clairlemon on x

  Australia now recruiting its allies https://www.smh.com.au/...

• @jameeljaffer Jameel Jaffer on x

  Facebook's Oversight Board should use its narrow authority over content-moderation decisions to force Facebook to address much more consequential questions relating to platform design. https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @katecrawford Kate Crawford on x

  It happened: Facebook just went off the deep end in Australia. They are blocking *all* news content to Australians, and *no* Australian media can post news. This is what showdowns between states and platforms look like. It's deplatforming at scale. https://about.fb.com/...

• @emilybell Emily Bell on x

  Facebook's response to Australian news reforms needs to be understood in the following context. It is not a consistently pro-democratic company, and it is not an accountability platform https://about.fb.com/...

• @s8mb Sam Bowman on x

  I mean, look at this. “Bringing an entire country to its knees” by, uh, not linking to news articles it was being forced to pay for. This is the kind of feverish nonsense that some sections of the anti-Big Tech world have embraced. It's bananas. https://twitter.com/...

• @joshgnosis Josh Taylor on x

  Facebook's news ban hammer having a lot of collateral damage. https://twitter.com/...

• @juliacarriew Julia Carrie Wong on x

  Whatever you think of the proposed bill, Facebook's behavior in Australia should be a clarion call to publishers, government agencies, and any organizations with a public interest purpose that it's time to divest from Facebook as a communication platform https://www.theguardian.c…

• @picardonhealth Andr Picard on x

  Even for a company that specialises in PR disasters, @Facebook has excelled with its Australian blackout. By turning off news sharing, it has turned attention to its own reckless opaque power, by @EmilyBell https://www.theguardian.com/ ... via @guardian #journalism

• @sarah_collard_ Sarah Collard on x

  It's not just big news orgs bearing the brunt of the News ban by @Facebook. Smaller Indigenous and community media orgs are too. Vital for getting info out about COVID, telecommunications outages and emergencies to communities. https://twitter.com/...

• @zaidjilani Zaid Jilani on x

  Just a private company, controlling chokepoints of vital information and shutting them down when they're trying to intimidate a country's government. https://twitter.com/...

• @albomp Anthony Albanese on x

  During a global pandemic, Australians can't access state health departments on Facebook. On a day of flood and fire warnings in Queensland and WA, Australians can't access the Bureau of Meteorology on Facebook. The Morrison Government needs to fix this today.

• @natsils_ Natsils on x

  We are extremely concerned that NATSILS has been blocked by #FacebookAustralia, so have some of our members. This is a human rights issue, silencing the voices of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people, our representative peak bodies. This is how we connect with community. ht…

• @iancarterim Ian Carter on x

  Whatever the rights and wrongs of the drafting of the Australian media code, this has been a terrifying example of Facebook's power - and one it may come to regret. https://twitter.com/...

• @jeremyrlent Jeremy Lent on x

  It's not about regulating Facebook, or even just breaking it up. It's become too important as a global human communication network. It needs to be taken away from shareholders & turned into a commons-based utility. Tech should serve humans, not vice versa. https://www.theguardian…

• @mrdenmore Mr Denmore on x

  Journos saying Google & Facebook should ‘pay for news’ should read this from tech guru @benedictevans “If all links have value, why should only newspapers be paid?” If PI journalism is important then the answer is a public subsidy not competition law. https://www.ben-evans.com/..…

• @noam Noam Bardin on x

  @benedictevans is spot on in the Australia debate. Publishers have tremendous traffic due to Google/FB and their own content. They need to figure out how to monetize it, like any other business and not tax those who have. https://www.ben-evans.com/...

• @sub8u Subrahmanyam Kvj on x

  Very cogent and spot-on read from @benedictevans on the new Australian law on asking Google/FB to pay for links! Our dislike for Facebook doesn't mean we develop a liking for utterly stupid regulation. Dumb can't replace evil! https://www.ben-evans.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x

  This post captures the biggest problem with GDPR and various platform privacy changes. Making personalized ads less relevant for privacy reasons hurts media sites more than big tech. This makes them more reliant on government lobbying and subscriptions https://www.ben-evans.com/.…

• @sarthakgh Sar Haribhakti on x

  “I think Facebook basically did the right thing, and Google basically did the wrong thing...” Clear-eyed take! Exchange of value doesn't always have to mean getting paid directly! That traffic publishers are desperate for comes from FB's loyal userbase https://www.platformer.news…

• @jackshafer Jack Shafer on x

  “Google and Facebook created huge new ad businesses on the internet, that advertisers prefer, and some newspaper companies think that somehow or other they should get some of that money.” —@BenedictEvans https://www.ben-evans.com/...

• @daphnehk Daphne Keller on x

  I would like to see a wealth transfer from platforms to news organizations. I don't see how this system gets us to the right math for that. Not sure how this deals with the definition of worthy news orgs, either. Definitely everyone's mad though. So it has that in its favor. http…

• @mcannonbrookes Mike Cannon-Brookes on x

  “If you do accept the novel theory that links being free for 25y is market failure... a further breach of basic logic: if links have value, why should only newspapers be paid? If links were paid, newspapers' share would be a pittance.” @benedictevans 👏🏻 https://www.ben-evans.com/…