Facebook’s ongoing standoff with the Australian government over the proposed news media code – a disputed piece of legislation that would force the social media behemoth and Google to pay news outlets for content posted on their online platforms – has taken a dramatic turn.

Australian news outlets were banned on Thursday from sharing content on Facebook, with the botched move also ricocheting to block charities, government agencies, fire and emergency services, COVID-19 pandemic response, and a plethora of smaller businesses.

While international news organisations were still posting on Facebook, the nation’s users couldn’t view or share the content. The legislation that prompted Facebook to go ballistic passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening and will soon be debated by the Senate.

Full story: sputniknews.com

By Svetlana Ekimenko
Sputnik International