Facebook blocks news sharing in Australia in response to new media law

Facebook has blocked sharing of news in Australia since Wednesday after the Australian government’s plans to make it pay media groups for content. Australians were unable to post links of news articles or view the Facebook pages of news outlets from anywhere in the world.

The move came as a response to laws proposed in Canberra that would force tech giants like Google and Facebook to pay for news content shared on their platforms.

As a consequence of the action, fire, health and meteorological services around the country were experiencing problems with their Facebook pages during several serious public emergencies, sparking calls for the company to fix the situation.

Digital platforms have fought back hard against the world first Australian legislation fearing that it would set a global precedent which would require dramatic changes and impact their business model.

Google which also fought the legislation has started brokering deals with media groups which include Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

Australia’s House of Representatives passed the bill on Wednesday. Now, the bill will be considered by the Senate.