Australian leader urges Facebook to lift its news blockade

Front pages of Australian newspapers are displayed featuring stories about Facebook in Sydney, on Friday, Feb 19, 2021. In a surprise retaliatory move Thursday, Facebook blocked Australians from sharing news stories, escalating a fight with the government over whether powerful tech companies should have to pay news organisations for content. — AP

CANBERRA, Australia: Australia’s prime minister on Feb 19 urged Facebook to lift its blockade of Australian users and return to the negotiating table with news publishing businesses, warning that other countries would follow his government’s example in making digital giants pay for journalism.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison described Facebook’s move Thursday to prevent Australians accessing and sharing news as a threat.