Facebook news content in Australia blocked

Facebook has blocked Australian users from sharing or viewing news content on

the platform. This has caused an alarm over public access to key information on

Facebook. This development came in response to a proposed law which would make tech

giants pay for news content on their platforms.

Australians, woke up to find that Facebook pages of all local and global news sites

were unavailable on Thursday, February, 18. Several government health and emergency pages were also blocked, something Facebook later mentioned was a mistake.

Those outside of the country are also unable to read or access any Australian

news publications on the platform.

The Australian government has strongly criticized the move, saying it

demonstrated the “immense market power of these digital social giants”.

The ban sparked an immediate backlash, with many Australians angry about their

sudden loss of access to trusted and authoritative sources.