Australia’s Facebook users woke on Thursday morning to find news pages had been wiped blank.
Facebook has, with little warning, blocked publishers and users in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content.
Users navigating to news pages will find generic grey bars where custom cover photos used to sit, and the message “no posts yet” in place of news content and shared stories.
News articles will no longer show up in the news feed of Facebook users.
While Facebook’s move seems designed to target Australian publishers, international news outlets have also been caught up in the ban.
Australia-based Facebook users navigating to the website of The New York Times are also being met with the “no posts yet” message or other error notifications.
As well as companies being blocked from posting news articles, individuals users have been banned from sharing news content, both domestic and international, on their news feeds.
The decision to ban news content from the website will have a profound impact on the way reliable news information is shared in Australia and there are concerns that misinformation and conspiracy theories will instead flourish on the site.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has raised concerns about the sharing of important emergency information and health advice on the platform.
There are also concerns for marginalised groups such as Indigenous Australians, with some users pointing out the essential use of Facebook for getting information to these groups.
Despite the fact that millions of Australians turn to news outlets on Facebook for information, Facebook said that the sharing of news articles made up only a small percent of its total content.
“For Facebook, the business gain from the news is minimal. News makes up less than 4 per cent of the content people see in their News Feed,” the company said in a statement.
Crucial sources of health information, the weather bureau, and domestic violence services were also among other pages that appeared to have been inadvertently blocked on Thursday.
Facebook said it recognised the importance of connecting Australians to relevant health information and would continue to do so through coronavirus information hubs.
“Our commitment to remove harmful misinformation and provide access to credible and timely information will not change,” the company said.
Facebook also said that its other services on offer in Australia would not change.
“We want to assure the millions of Australians using Facebook to connect with friends and family, grow their businesses and join Groups to help support their local communities, that these services will not change,” they said.
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