Facebook's move to restrict Australian publishers was a 'nuclear option,' expert says

Facebook is trying to exert its monopoly power in Australia, by restricting publishers from posting content on Facebook Pages, according to Peter Lewis, director of the Centre for Responsible Technology at the think tank Australia Institute.He explained that the social networking giant built itself up on the offer of free access, while downplaying the collection of user data and making money off that information.”I think they are reinforcing their monopoly position in this part of the digital world,” he said Friday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.””It is sparking a conversation in Australia about what alternatives could look like – there’s no obvious corporate alternative,” he said. “Reimagining public digital infrastructure is a long game, not something that you can do overnight.”Australia’s Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Twitter Friday that he had “further conversation” with Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and that they will talk again over the weekend. He said the government and Facebook will work to try and resolve issues that persist.What happened?Facebook said Wednesday that Australian users will no longer be able to view or share news content. International users will also not be able to access Australian news content on its platform.The decision came in response to a…
Read More  » Read More