Facebook has announced it has blocked Australians from viewing and sharing news on its platform because of proposed laws in the country to make digital giants pay for journalism. Australian publishers can continue to publish news content on Facebook, but links and posts can't be viewed or shared by Australian audiences, the U.S.-based company said in a statement. Australian users cannot share domestic or international news, while international users outside Australia also cannot share Australian news. "The proposed law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers who use it to share news content," Facebook regional managing director William Easton said. The announcement came a day after Australia's treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, described as "very promising" negotiations between Facebook and Google with Australian media companies.

Source: CBC News February 17, 2021 19:37 UTC