Facebook Inc. on Tuesday said it would stop Australians sharing news content on its platforms if a proposal to make it pay local media outlets for their content becomes law, escalating tension with the Australian government. Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Tuesday said the proposed law was in the national interest, followed 18 months of public inquiry and would create a more sustainable local media industry where original content was paid for. Under proposed new internet reforms, Facebook and Google will have to pay royalties for publishing local and original content on their sites. "Australian Facebook users are being held to ransom as a tactic to intimidate the Australian government into backing down on this issue," she said in a statement. Facebook says law 'unprecedented'The proposed law was "the only reasonable way to even up the bargaining power between Facebook, Google and Australian News Media Businesses," Fair said.

Source: CBC News September 01, 2020 05:37 UTC