Tech

Facebook turns on News again after negotiations with the Australian Government

Facebook has this afternoon reversed its less than a week old decision to ban news from the platform after eleventh hour talks with the Australian Government.

Announced this afternoon by Will Easton, Managing Director, Facebook Australia & New Zealand, Facebook say “We’re pleased that we’ve been able to reach an agreement with the Australian government and appreciate the constructive discussions we’ve had with Treasurer Frydenberg and Minister Fletcher over the past week.

We have consistently supported a framework that would encourage innovation and collaboration between online platforms and publishers. After further discussions, we are satisfied that the Australian government has agreed to a number of changes and guarantees that address our core concerns about allowing commercial deals that recognize the value our platform provides to publishers relative to the value we receive from them.

As a result of these changes, we can now work to further our investment in public interest journalism and restore news on Facebook for Australians in the coming days.

Additional detail was provided by Global VP of News Partnerships Campbell Brown who added “After further discussions with the Australian government, we have come to an agreement that will allow us to support the publishers we choose to, including small and local publishers. We’re restoring news on Facebook in Australia in the coming days.

Going forward, the government has clarified we will retain the ability to decide if news appears on Facebook so that we won’t automatically be subject to a forced negotiation. It’s always been our intention to support journalism in Australia and around the world, and we’ll continue to invest in news globally and resist efforts by media conglomerates to advance regulatory frameworks that do not take account of the true value exchange between publishers and platforms like Facebook.”

How Facebook’s ability to retain the control over news, while also avoiding forced negotiation is currently unclear – but no doubt will become clear in coming days.

Facebook’s statement that they will restore banned pages “in the coming days” will not sit well with those banned. They were able to shut everyone down in a matter of minutes, here’s hoping they can restore them just as quick.

Recent Posts

  • Tech

2026 will be the battle of “RGB” in TV technology – what. the. heck. is. that?

If you're still catching up on Quantum Dots, OLED, Mini LED and are thinking that…

8 hours ago
  • Tech

NBN gets set for the final roll out of Fibre upgrades to another 600,000 homes

The NBN is getting ready to lock in the final stage of the Fibre to…

14 hours ago
  • Motoring

The stunning new BMW iX3 is a vision for the future realised as Neue Klasse comes to market

BMW has revealed the first new model to be designed and engineered under their 2025…

16 hours ago
  • Tech

Best in Smart Home – The SwannBuddy 4K Video Doorbell with AI wins at the IFA Innovation Awards

The SwannBuddy4K Video Doorbell with SwannShield™AI Voice Assistant has been given an Honouree accolade for…

24 hours ago
  • Tech

360 degree security camera coverage and smart AI capabilities come to Reolink security lineup at IFA 2025

Reolink is a bit of an upstart when it comes to home security but having…

1 day ago
  • Lifestyle

LG unveil its AI plans for your home appliances at IFA 2025

LG has announced its vision for AI-powered living at IFA 2025 under the moniker “LG…

1 day ago