After Google, Facebook is also “darkening” Australia, blackmailing the government against the new publications law.

On the other side of the world, the first real battle is fought between governments and web giants. Far but very close. In Australia Facebook has decided to block share news, among other things, prevent users from accessing pages of public utility, such as government and health service sites. The measure is a form of retaliation against the pending law that would force Google and Facebook itself to pay for the news they publish. editors that produce them. as well Google had threatened Canberra restrict its services to Australian citizens. A clash that re-proposes the issue of power that these giants have now reached, to the point of blackmailing states and governments.

In a post on Facebook, it is not surprising that the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, defined the movement of the group of Mark Zukerberg “Arrogant and disappointing”, adding how these actions “confirm the concerns that more and more countries are expressing the behavior of BigTech companies, companies that believe they are larger and more influential than governments and believe that they are above the rules” . The Minister of Finance is on the same line Josh Frydenberg, who after having specified that Facebook has not given any notice about its intentions, added that “the decision confirms the immense market power of these digital giants.” Australian MPs have accused the group of “Corporate bullying” stigmatizing the decision to also hide health pages during the pandemic and with the ongoing vaccination campaign.

Facebook’s blockade shot up shortly after Google signed a deal with the Murdoch family’s Australian publishing giant NewsCorp. Not without criticism because some observers believe the deal is more positive for News Corp than the rest of the industry, given that not all publishers have Murdoch’s bargaining power, especially in Australia. In addition to News Corp, Google has also signed a letter of intent with Nine Entertainment, another major Australian media group. Google pledged to spend $ 1 billion over three years on news media purchases last year and signed deals with publishers in a dozen countries. But, reports the Financial Times, the figures under discussion in Australia are several times higher. greater than agreements signed in other parts of the world.