* Facebook said on Thursday it was no longer going to allow publishers and Australian users to share and view news content on its site.
* The move was a direct response to Australia’s proposed “new media code,” which would force it to pay news publishers for the right to link to their content in news feeds.
* Facebook’s actions have divided opinion across the country, with some indifferent, and others angry.
The #deletefacebook hashtag was trending on Twitter in Australia on Thursday.
Facebook users in Australia are slowly coming to terms with the fact that they’ll no longer be able to get their daily news updates on the platform.
In a snap decision announced Wednesday, the social media giant said it was no longer going to allow publishers and Australian users to share and view news content on its site.
The move was a direct response to Australia’s proposed “new media code,” which would force Google and Facebook to pay news publishers for the right to link to their content in news feeds or search results.
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Update: Facebook is gambling Australia can't live without it. Imagine if we prove them wrong (Lenore Taylor, The Guardian)
WNU Editor: I think Facebook is making a serious mistake. Facebook is just a website. People will adjust.
Update #2: Canada is vowing to be the next country to demand Facebook to pay for news .... Canada vows to be next country to go after Facebook to pay for news (Reuters). I have my doubts that this is going to happen. The person who runs Facebook in Canada has deep ties to Prime Minister Trudeau's government. But we shall see.
