Imagine how you react one day and you don't see the news content on the social media you use regularly? Recently, Australia's Facebook homepage is playing this scene.
According to Australian media reports, Facebook "hit back" at Australia on February 18, local time, preventing Australian news media from posting on the Facebook platform, while restricting Australian netizens from sharing and obtaining news content on Facebook.
△ The Facebook homepage of Australian media is blocked
Dissatisfied with Australia's new bill Facebook changed its face to block Australian media
Not only for the Australian media, but also for some Australian government departments such as meteorology, fire, health departments, as well as some non-news organizations such as community groups and charitable organizations, they have also been affected, and Facebook pages have been shut down for several hours.
△ Screenshot of the British "Guardian" report
The reason Facebook is targeting traditional Australian media is that the Australian government is preparing to introduce a law requiring Internet companies to pay fees to provide news Australian media outlets when using news links, or face millions of dollars in fines.
The Australian Commonwealth House of Representatives has passed the bill called "Guidelines for Mandatory Bargaining for News Media and Digital Platforms" on February 17, and the Australian Senate has begun to debate the bill on the 22nd, and if it goes well, the bill requiring social platforms to pay traditional media is expected to be approved and become law by the end of next week.
But unlike Facebook's hard-hitting approach, another Internet giant, Google, has reached an agreement with News Corp. and other media outlets on February 17, agreeing to pay for news content to accommodate the new regulations.
There seems to be no sign of compromise between the two sides of the dispute
A senior Australian lawmaker said on the 22nd that although large technology companies expressed strong opposition, Australia would not amend the proposed bill.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Facebook's blanket blockade of news content was a threat. Morrison said such behavior only confirms growing concerns about tech giants. He urged Facebook to return to the negotiating table. Morrison also said Australia's practice of making social platforms pay for news set a world precedent and received widespread public attention and support from many countries, and he has discussed the latest situation with the leaders of India and Canada.
△ Morrison Image source: Getty Society
Facebook said that Australia's proposed bill does not fundamentally recognize the difference between social media platforms and media organizations, because publishers choose to share their stories on Facebook, and Facebook does not steal news content.
Can Australia set a precedent for balancing the profits of the Internet economy?
According to Australia's Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian government pushed for the bill in order to balance the redistribution of profits in the Internet economy, forcing tech giants to negotiate with media companies to pay for content produced using traditional media. According to foreign policy, Australia's online advertising market earns $6.8 billion a year, with about 70% of revenue currently flowing into the pockets of internet giants such as Google and Facebook.
A 2020 University of Canberra study found that 39 per cent of Australians use Facebook to receive news messages, a higher proportion among the younger generation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 49% of Australians used Facebook as their primary source of information about COVID-19. About 17 million Australians visit Facebook every month.
According to data from website traffic analysis company Chartbeat, just after Facebook banned Australian users from sharing news on the 18th, the overall number of visits to Australia's major news sites decreased significantly, down about 13%, and the number of visits from overseas fell by 20%.
Australians have mixed attitudes towards the situation. Some people believe that during the epidemic period, Facebook's blocking of news is obviously wrong, and posting is that after the legal news media disappears on social platforms, it will provide living space for fake news. Some people believe that social platforms have impacted traditional media, and the two sides should negotiate a licensing agreement.
Sydney resident Fred Azis-Laranjo said Facebook's decision would be "hugely counterproductive" and would cost Facebook its australian fans and customers. But he also mentioned that this is a good thing in the long run, and if it encourages more people to be more proactive in finding news information, it may mean that people have more perspectives, which will also benefit traditional news organizations. ”
Sydney resident Fred Achis-Laranjo view
At present, the competition between the Australian government and the social platform Facebook is still ongoing, and the Canadian government has announced on the 18th that it will draft a bill similar to Australia to require social platforms to pay for the news content used.
Producer 丨 Tang Yi
Producer 丨 Zhao Xinyu
Edited by 丨 Zhang Wenjun