Facebook’s decision to block the sharing of news in Australia restricted access to critical public information on government health and emergency service sites on Thursday, provoking a backlash from the government and public.
The Facebook pages of Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland Department of Health and Hobart Women’s Shelter were among dozens hit by a ban after Canberra’ tried to force the social media company and Google to pay news publishers for content.
Josh Frydenberg, Australia’s treasurer, said Facebook gave no warning of its intentions and added that the actions were wrong, unnecessary and heavy-handed. “But what today’s events do confirm for all Australians is the immense market power of these media digital giants,” he said.