3 ms·

From an outsiders POV (I don't really use Facebook), it would appear that Facebook is undermining the Australian government’s health messaging seemly due to the

From an outsiders POV (I don't really use Facebook), it would appear that Facebook is undermining the Australian government’s health messaging seemly due to their previously reported dispute. If true, I find it gross. It would seem quite dangerous that they’re doing this ahead of the coronavirus vaccine rollout that is starting next week. Unfortunately Facebook is still the go to place to receive content for my elderly Australian relatives. Edit: Getting a lot of downvotes for the above. I was about to delete, but then I'd be self-censoring.

lesserknowndan 6y ago
It is pretty gross that the Australian Government executive have decided to play hardball with tech giants just before the vaccine rollout just because they want to cosy up to the news industry before an election next year. In the past, the liberal government have shown that they don't know how to roll out a national broadband network (NBN), and now they are showing that they do not have a clue regarding how the Internet actually works, let alone how to regulate it.
- schappim 6y ago
  Yeah, putting myself in their shoes, I don't get the calculus in supporting the code. Surely tech companies can do more damage to your political brand than old media. Also, I don't think it is a liberal/labor thing, as Labor also supported the media code. Greens probably have a clue but lack the influence. >> they don't know how to roll out a national broadband network (NBN) Sure to begin with, but how much day-to-day meddling would the coms minister do these days? Gigabit NBN via HFC, is now available in major metro, Starlink will be soon available for the sticks. Seems like we're slowly getting there.
tiew9Vii 6y ago
I don't think they are deliberately undermining anyone. The Australian government introduced a policy to prop up a specific powerful media organization that is loosing readers and money. Facebook for all their faults are not the bad guys here. They have to abide by the law of Australia, they had a short period of time to make changes to remain legal, they have likely done the minimal amount of work to abide by the new Australian law. It's likely far easier to flag stuff as news than not news with the amount of edgecases. What we see here is a consequence and collateral damage of Australian government policy put in place to keep rich donors rich. It's likely over the coming weeks things caught by the sweeping ban will slowly start getting allowed back as tweaks are made. If you need to be mad at anyone, it's the government who introduced a policy resulting in a company saying, na, it's not worth it financially we'll move out of that market.

lesserknowndan 6y ago

It is pretty gross that the Australian Government executive have decided to play hardball with tech giants just before the vaccine rollout just because they want to cosy up to the news industry before an election next year. In the past, the liberal government have shown that they don't know how to roll out a national broadband network (NBN), and now they are showing that they do not have a clue regarding how the Internet actually works, let alone how to regulate it.

schappim 6y ago
Yeah, putting myself in their shoes, I don't get the calculus in supporting the code. Surely tech companies can do more damage to your political brand than old media. Also, I don't think it is a liberal/labor thing, as Labor also supported the media code. Greens probably have a clue but lack the influence. >> they don't know how to roll out a national broadband network (NBN) Sure to begin with, but how much day-to-day meddling would the coms minister do these days? Gigabit NBN via HFC, is now available in major metro, Starlink will be soon available for the sticks. Seems like we're slowly getting there.

tiew9Vii 6y ago

I don't think they are deliberately undermining anyone. The Australian government introduced a policy to prop up a specific powerful media organization that is loosing readers and money. Facebook for all their faults are not the bad guys here. They have to abide by the law of Australia, they had a short period of time to make changes to remain legal, they have likely done the minimal amount of work to abide by the new Australian law. It's likely far easier to flag stuff as news than not news with the amount of edgecases. What we see here is a consequence and collateral damage of Australian government policy put in place to keep rich donors rich. It's likely over the coming weeks things caught by the sweeping ban will slowly start getting allowed back as tweaks are made. If you need to be mad at anyone, it's the government who introduced a policy resulting in a company saying, na, it's not worth it financially we'll move out of that market.