Facebook’s news ban in Australia is over, but only after the social media colossus forced the country’s government into some pretty hefty concessions. Last week, Facebook dramatically blocked all news from its platform in Australia – and accidentally a number of charities and health and emergency services – in protest against a bill that would force tech giants to pay news outlets for using their content. However, according to Reuters, Australian treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have agreed to a concession deal. It reportedly contains a potential exemption for Facebook if it can demonstrate that it has made deals with media outlets to pay them for content, and will give Facebook a month’s notice to comply with the law if it goes ahead. “Facebook is friends with Australia again, and Australian news will be restored to the Facebook platform,” Frydenberg told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
Read it up The Guardian