Last Updated on 24/02/2021 by Khushi
The government in Australia is going to amend its News Media Bargaining code and that Facebook will get back to its former functions of sharing news very soon. The concerned details were known after Australia’s federal treasurer and communications minister released statements with regards to the same. This means that the recent changes on Facebook, which was a result of the rift between the tech giant and the government regulations, will soon be reversed and the pages and profiles on Facebook will soon be able to share and post news links.
“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,” said William Easton, Facebook’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand.
William further added, “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. “
The government had withdrawn its funds from spending on advertising on Facebook last Monday. Thereby, Facebook blocked news content from both national and international outlets, within Australia.
Josh Frydenberg, the federal treasurer says that he had interaction with Mark Zuckerberg to be able to appear on a helpful conclusion. The amendments following such discussions consist of a longer duration of notice and mediation until a platform is designated as per the Code. “These amendments will provide further clarity to digital platforms and news media businesses about the way the Code is intended to operate and strengthen the framework for ensuring news media businesses are fairly remunerated,” reads the government’s press release.
“Going forward, the [Australian] 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,” claimed Campbell Brown, Facebook VP of global news partnerships.