Facebook has blocked Australian users from sharing or viewing news content on the platform, causing much alarm over public access to key information. Australians on Thursday woke up to find that Facebook pages of all local and global news sites were unavailable. However, in contrast to Facebook, Google has in recent days signed payment deals with three major Australian media outlets. Of every A$100 (£56; $77) spent on digital advertising in Australian media these days, A$81 goes to Google and Facebook. Under the ban, Australian publishers are also restricted from sharing or posting any links on their Facebook pages.

Source: The Star February 18, 2021 04:52 UTC