Facebook lifts Aussie news quality by banning itself

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It’s responsible for much that is bad in the contemporary political economy. Its algos feed biases. Its lack of editorial standards feeds conspiracy theorists. It divides more than it brings together. And today it has taken on the mantle of a coercive foreign power. Witness the marvel that is Facebook:

Social media giant Facebook will prohibit publishers and people in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content in response to Australia’s proposed media bargaining laws.

The company announced the move after saying it was left with a “stark choice” after being unable to find a “solution” in discussions with the Australian government.

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About the author
David Llewellyn-Smith is Chief Strategist at the MB Fund and MB Super. David is the founding publisher and editor of MacroBusiness and was the founding publisher and global economy editor of The Diplomat, the Asia Pacific’s leading geo-politics and economics portal. He is also a former gold trader and economic commentator at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the ABC and Business Spectator. He is the co-author of The Great Crash of 2008 with Ross Garnaut and was the editor of the second Garnaut Climate Change Review.