Will Facebook block news? The dispute is escalating

The dispute between Facebook and local media in Australia is in full swing. The matter has become so serious that even the government has become involved. Everything indicates that news on Facebook will be blocked.

Will Facebook block news?

All indicates that Meta will block news content on Facebook for users in Australia.

There has been a dispute between the social media giant and local media for some time now, They demand payment for content published on Facebook. The matter is so serious that government authorities have become involved.

On Friday, Meta’s representatives were heard before the Australian Parliament. When asked by one of the parliamentarians whether Facebook really plans to block news content in order to avoid licensing fees.

All options are possible at the moment. There are many technical solutions that allow users to access news content.

– said Mia Garlick, regional director of Facebook.

Garlick also added that Facebook is closely watching the process conducted by Australian government plans to impose fees for the use of content from news websites.

The contract will not be extended

Meta signed in 2021 a contract with Australia’s largest publisher, News Corp, but announced a few weeks ago that it had no intention of extending the contract, which expires at the end of this year. In response to this announcement, the local authorities are currently conducting an investigation to collect evidence and analyze the legal situation.

When asked at the hearing about her company’s compliance with the law, Garlick commented on the entire situation:

We work to respect the laws. We do this in the areas of tax law, privacy, etc. In this case, acting in accordance with these principles may be somewhat difficult.

During the meeting in parliament, Garlick was also asked about the case of Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest, who accused Facebook of using his image to falsely advertise non-existent investments.