Discussion

• @kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x

  BREAKING: “We're restoring news on Facebook in Australia in the coming days” says Facebook VP of global news partnerships @campbell_brown. Full statement: https://twitter.com/...

• @mathewi Mathew Ingram on x

  From the sounds of it, Facebook reversed its ban because the Australian government promised that if it cut enough side deals with publishers, the law would no longer apply https://www.bbc.co.uk/...

• @mikeisaac Rat King on x

  this is a stalling tactic for both sides. Amendment to Australian bill gives AU Govt and Facebook two months to negotiate the final outcome. In the meantime, Facebook agreed to restore news links throughout Australia. story with @damiencave https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @unenergy Digby Bamford on x

  @jeffjarvis A thread I posted earlier today. Today I've been sorting News Corp articles/posts where Facebook is mentioned over the past 12 years. News Corp were on the attack against Facebook the whole time. FB should sue them because, as a whole, it is defamatory https://twitter…

• @jeffjarvis Jeff Jarvis on x

  In Australia, everybody's a loser, except Murdoch, who kidnapped them all. Pols wrote terrible, protectionist law to harm the net. Media soul their souls to the devil, Rupert. Google & FB made payoffs to avoid the law. The public? Nobody gives a shit about them.

• @joshgnosis Josh Taylor on x

  This line says it all really. If they're forced into the code they'll do it again https://www.facebook.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @privacyfocused @privacyfocused on x

  Noooooo... :( https://twitter.com/...

• @caseynewton Casey Newton on x

  Looks like Australia caved to Facebook after less than a week https://twitter.com/...

• @iboy George Nimeh on x

  Australia government caves. Facebook's monopoly looks more pronounced than ever. Australian news will return to the platform. Deals will be brokered. In the meantime, I bet a lot of Australians were enjoying more cats and less doom scrolling on Facebook. 🤷 https://twitter.com/...

• @fbnewsroom @fbnewsroom on x

  Update: We're pleased that we've been able to reach an agreement with the Australian government and appreciate the constructive discussions we've had with Treasurer Frydenberg and Minister Fletcher over the past week. Read our full statement. https://about.fb.com/...

• @slpng_giants @slpng_giants on x

  News is back for Australia. Nothing was really decided. Whatever happens, @facebook was large enough to likely negotiate its own legislation. Breaking apart Facebook is absolutely essential to reining in their power and control. https://twitter.com/...

• @fboversight @fboversight on x

  Facebook brought an entire country to its knees to agree to its demands. Now Facebook have forced the Australian regulator's hand to meet those demands. The ultimate exercise of monopoly power. https://twitter.com/...

• @harriettatham Harriet Tatham on x

  Life without moderation was so delightful while it lasted https://twitter.com/...

• @qanda @qanda on x

  Facebook will walk back its block on Australian news sites in the coming days, according to a statement from Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher. | @abcnews #QandA https://www.abc.net.au/...

• @theshovel @theshovel on x

  Facebook has struck a deal with the government to restore news in Australia. Also Facebook now owns Tasmania.

• @likebutterfield @likebutterfield on x

  to be clear, Facebook is consistently making micro-decisions about what content is shown in our feeds. this decision in australia was just an algorithm adjustment with a brighter light shining on it 🔦 https://twitter.com/...

• @fboversight @fboversight on x

  In other words, regulator caves to Facebook's demands. Facebook wants regulation but only if they like it. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @gaberivera Gabe Rivera on x

  Microsoft to plot with European lobbyists to destroy the basic internet freedom to link, further tilt the playing field against smaller publishers, smother future startup business models in the crib, and make Rupert Murdoch more powerful, all to inconvenience Google a bit. https:…

• @zsk Zoe Kleinman on x

  I have a feeling this is not the end of this particular drama. https://www.bbc.co.uk/...

• @amnestytech @amnestytech on x

  Amnesty welcomes the news that access to critical information will be restored in Australia - but the actions are still a shocking demonstration of Facebook's power to control what information people see online. https://www.bbc.co.uk/...

• @marvelle Marshall Maher on x

  This is exactly why FB going nuclear in Australia was so stupid. Are they going to ban news from all of Europe too? US tech journalists probably think FB should do it. https://twitter.com/...

• @meadea Amanda Meade on x

  Updated: If the government were to later decide to apply the code to Facebook, the company could pull news from Australia again. Facebook reverses Australia news ban after government makes media code amendments https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

• @steve_fi Steve Williams on x

  We really need to find better funding mechanisms for supporting independent journalism. We shouldn't be letting tech companies wage war with one another which will only lead to consolidation of the biggest players. https://twitter.com/...

• @johnbattelle John Battelle on x

  Facebook reaches deal with Australia over news. So much wrong about that headline it makes my head hurt. https://www.wsj.com/...

• @benthompson Ben Thompson on x

  Years of rebuilding their reputation only to set it aflame for...Bing? https://twitter.com/...

• @stevesi Steven Sinofsky on x

  Microsoft joins forces with European news publishers https://www.ft.com/... // it isn't about aligning w/publishers which is fine, but about the false arguments being put forth that this aligns Microsoft with. 💔 enemy of my enemy is not a strategy when built on incorrect facts.

• @mattyglesias Matthew Yglesias on x

  Okay I thought this was funny when it was just happening in Australia but now I'm mad. https://www.ft.com/...

• @robpegoraro Rob Pegoraro on x

  Lots to parse in this statement from Facebook about news in Australia, but focus on “allow us to support the publishers we choose to” and “we will retain the ability to decide if news appears on Facebook so that we won't automatically be subject to a forced negotiation.” https://…

• @marcelweiss Marcel Wei&szlig on x

  @benedictevans @oliver_wright It's almost like the Times is belonging to the same corporation that is pushing this nonsense in Australia.

• @benedictevans Benedict Evans on x

  (I wonder if Facebook will start promoting a law that says smartphone companies aren't allowed to make user data available to the Chinese government, just to try to cause trouble for Apple.)

• @jbenton Joshua Benton on x

  Microsoft's role here is more than a little sleazy, imo https://twitter.com/...

• @newsceo David Chavern on x

  This is a tremendous announcement - and shows the worldwide movement toward a true and fair value exchange for online news https://twitter.com/...

• @klyngec Casper Klynge on x

  This is an important step for us. Happy to team up w/ @ENPABrussels @newsmediaEU @MagazineMedia @EPC_Press to advocate that EU law mandate payments for use of press content. Access to quality news is critical to the success of our democracies. Statement: https://blogs.microsoft.c…

• @alex @alex on x

  my read here is that Bing is a little profitable and MSFT is willing to plow all that $ into content as a way to undercut Google? https://twitter.com/...

• @benedictevans Benedict Evans on x

  Old: “Everyone in tech gives their competitor's core business away for free” New: “Everyone in tech tries to get their competitor's core business regulated”