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[J1M1 1,249]

Facebook has blocked access to news websites for its Australian users in response to legislation that aims to force it to bargain with publishers. The impact has been immediate and dramatic, affecting all news outlets in the country, as well as further afield. The blocked content includes articles produced by The Conversation Australia, but the impact is being felt by all Conversation sites, including The Conversation Africa. It means that you will not be able to share articles from The Conversation Africa on Facebook. This is because The Conversation was founded in Australia and all editions run off a common website. Ways are being sought to address the situation and we will keep you posted. In the meantime, we urge you to continue reading our work on our website and sharing through email or other social media.

Any chance Rupert Murdoch is involved?

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On 2/20/2021 at 3:11 PM, J1M1 said:

Facebook has blocked access to news websites for its Australian users in response to legislation that aims to force it to bargain with publishers. The impact has been immediate and dramatic, affecting all news outlets in the country, as well as further afield. The blocked content includes articles produced by The Conversation Australia, but the impact is being felt by all Conversation sites, including The Conversation Africa. It means that you will not be able to share articles from The Conversation Africa on Facebook. This is because The Conversation was founded in Australia and all editions run off a common website. Ways are being sought to address the situation and we will keep you posted. In the meantime, we urge you to continue reading our work on our website and sharing through email or other social media.

Any chance Rupert Murdoch is involved?

Maybe. Google has agreed to pay for news content to at least three separate news organisations in Australia (including Murdoch's News Corp). Facebook is digging in and the Australian government isn't for budging. The move appears to have widespread support across the political spectrum in Australia including from extreme left parties like the Greens who would close down News Corp in a heartbeat if they ever got their hands on the levers of power.

Google and Facebook earn 80 cents of every $1 of digital advertising revenue in Australia so shelling out $100 million for access to news each year is peanuts on the $10 billion revenue they are grossing down here. You can expect others around the world to follow - it is on the radar in Canada and the EU and already in place in the UK