Rod McGuirk
FILE - This March 29, 2018, file photo shows the Facebook logo on screens at the Nasdaq MarketSite, in New York s Times Square. Facebook said on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, it lift its ban on Australians sharing news after a deal was struck on legislation that would make digital giants pay for journalism.(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) February 25, 2021 - 6:31 PM
CANBERRA, Australia - Facebook announced on Friday preliminary agreements with three Australian publishers, a day after the Parliament passed a law that would make the digital giants pay for news.
Facebook said letters of intent had been signed with independent news organizations Private Media, Schwartz Media and Solstice Media.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Facebook announced on Friday preliminary agreements with three Australian publishers, a day after the Parliament passed a law that would make the digital giants pay for news.
Facebook said letters of intent had been signed with independent news organizations Private Media, Schwartz Media and Solstice Media.
The commercial agreements are subject to the signing of full agreements within the next 60 days, a Facebook statement said.
“These agreements will bring a new slate of premium journalism, including some previously paywalled content, to Facebook,” the statement said.
Schwartz Media chief executive Rebecca Costello said the deal would help her company continue to produce independent journalism.
Feb 26, 2021
Australia on Thursday passed a world-first law aimed at forcing Google and Facebook Inc. to pay for news. But after a forceful intervention from the world’s biggest social network, the reality is Silicon Valley’s titans are paying a small price for cementing their influence over the media industry.
In a high-stakes gambit, Facebook blocked the sharing of news links in Australia and from Australian publishers, sapping traffic to their websites and putting pressure on the government to soften its proposed legislation. Lawmakers did exactly that, and while it’s too early to declare a clear winner from the confrontation, Facebook is walking away satisfied that it didn’t have to cede too much ground.
Facebook s move to ban news sites from its platform in Australia was a chilling warning for those who fear the same could happen in Europe.
The social media giant flexed its muscles over a proposed law that would have made it pay for journalistic content shared on its platform.
While the row has now been defused in Australia, it has sparked questions about whether the same scenario could play out on our continent.
It s clear that as in Australia, Europeans get a lot of their news content via social media companies such as Facebook. Hence, such platforms have a strong bargaining position when it comes to any negotiations on paying for content.
International Business News: CANBERRA: Facebook announced on Friday preliminary agreements with three Australian publishers, a day after the Parliament passed a law that would mak.