Facebook has queer public safety by block tidings on the platform in Australia during the covid-19 pandemic , according to Australia ’s Treasurer Josh Frydenberg a high - rank official in the country ’s ruling Liberal Party .
Frydenberg appeared on the local TV program “ Today , ” onFriday morning , Australia metre , and insisted the government was not going to put up Facebook ’s “ unnecessary ” and “ wrong ” attack to bully Australia into submission .
“ He endanger public safety , ” Frydenberg said of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg . “ In the middle of a pandemic , people were n’t able to get access to information about the vaccinum . ”
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg during morning media appearances in the Media Gallery at Parliament House on 29 January 2025 in Canberra, Australia.Photo: Sam Mooy (Getty Images)
Facebook started blocking all news show subject for Australian users on Thursday in revenge for the government ’s plan to implement a new law that would force large tech company to pay news publisher for tie in to their cognitive content . Google previously threatened to stymy all search in Australia over the practice of law but has since sign agreements with several gravid Australian newspaper publisher .
The hosts of the “ Today ” show , which aerate on Nine News in Australia , were fixated on defending the country ’s honor against Facebook , with carbon monoxide gas - host Karl Stefanovic even calling it “ disgusting ” that Facebook would freeze tidings .
“ What he did yesterday … he treated us like chumps , ” Stefanovic told Frydenberg . “ And we need to be respected more than that . It ’s disgusting . ”
Dozens , and perchance hundreds , of Facebook accounts were blocked in Australia on Thursday , including authorities account and public service arrangement that most people would n’t regard traditional news show publishers . The punishing - handed coming had plenty of collateral damage . Facebook even briefly blocked its own page in Australia , as Gizmodo reportedyesterday .
“ I think subtlety ’s not their schtick , ” Frydenberg told Nine News . “ It was pretty uncollectible what we saw yesterday . ”
Australia has done comparatively well during the covid-19 crisis , with just 28,900 cases and 909 deaths since the pandemic began last year , accord to theJohns Hopkins Universitycoronavirus tracker . But Australia lags behind other wealthy countries in rolling out vaccine and Frydenberg ’s government has been blamed for not ordinate sufficient provision on the national level .
Several public health organizations were caught up in the Facebook newsworthiness block on Thursday , including Western Sydney Health , South Australia Health , and the Sydney Local Health District . All three Facebook pages had been restored by Friday .
“ We ’re not backing down . No , we ’re not second down . We ’re implementing this Code , ” Frydenberg articulate . “ We need these digital giants to pay for original content . That ’s what Google is doing and we welcome the deals they have strike . With respect to Facebook , I ’ll get a line them out , and see what [ Mark Zuckerberg ] says . ”
Australia has a population of just 26 million , a little small than the state of Texas , so it does n’t have the geopolitical weight to throw around and bring antimonopoly mensuration like the U.S. or European Union . rather , Australia is using the tools it has in its toolbox in an attempt to tame big tech companies through local laws . And companies like Facebook and Google are terrorize that Australia ’s rules could become a model for other relatively small countries .
Frydenberg ’s live interview with Nine News aired around 8:15 a.m. local time on the east coast of Australia ( 4:15 p.m. Thursday , ET ) , on the face of it before he spoke with Mark Zuckerberg later in the morning , but detail from that earphone call have not been put out . Frydenberg is reportedly scheduled to talk with Zuckerberg again over the weekend .
Australia ’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Friday that the governing was not going to back down from this battle and take note he believe Australian are with him on this battle against Silicon Valley ’s declamatory players .
“ This is Australia . You want to do business concern here , you go according to our rule , and that ’s a reasonable proffer , ” Morrisonsaid .
Morrison spoke with Canada ’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of late in an travail to shore up sustenance from other smaller country in their push against Facebook , according to Australia’sABC News . And Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault condemned Facebook ’s action in Australia on Thursday pronounce it was “ highly irresponsible ” and that Facebook “ compromises the condom of many Australian masses , ” agree to Canada’sGlobe and Mailnewspaper .
Prime Minister Morrison take a firm stand that he ’s not trying to be inordinate , but that any overreaction by Facebook would likely be find out as anserine in Australia .
“ We ’re well-chosen to hear to them on the expert issue of this , just like we heed to Google and came to a sensible transcription , ” Morrison state newsman on Friday .
“ But the musical theme of close down the variety of sites they did yesterday as some sort of terror — well , I know how Australians react to that . And I think that was not a estimable move on their part , ” Morrison said with a chuckle .
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