Facebook is lifting its blockade of journalistic news content in Australia. As stated on Tuesday by the Australian Chancellor of the Exchequer Josh Frydenberg and the Australian boss of Facebook, Will Easton, a compromise was apparently reached. In the dispute over a planned law to regulate the digital news market, Facebook will release journalistic content “in the next few days” due to “changes” to the text of the law, Easton announced.
“We’re pleased that the Australian government has approved a number of changes that address our key concerns,” said Facebook. Australia wants to pass a law that will force Facebook and Google to pay media companies for their content. Facebook blocked access to news and disaster services in Australia last week in the dispute over the law after the House of Representatives passed the bill last Wednesday.
Facebook decides for itself which news it shows
Australia’s proposed changes to media rules will allow Facebook to make its own decisions about whether to keep news on the platform and thereby support the publishers it has chosen, Campbell Brown, Facebook vice president of global news partnerships, said Tuesday.
“The government has been informed by Facebook that it intends to restore the Australian news sites in the coming days,” Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said in a statement. The Senate will debate the amended legislation on Tuesday.
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