Does Meta ban news content from Facebook?

Facebook parent company Meta has threatened to ban all news content from its platform. The reason is a new planned US media law, which is primarily intended to protect local journalism. However, Facebook feels disadvantaged and threatens radical consequences.

Meta has threatened to ban all news content from Facebook if the US Congress passes a new, controversial media law. Meanwhile, the so-called Journalism Competition and Preservation Act is primarily intended to better protect local journalism.

Facebook threatens to block news – because of controversial US media law

According to this, the big tech companies should pay for certain media content because it gives them clicks and thus advertising revenue. However, Facebook parent company Meta feels massively disadvantaged by this regulation.

Company spokesman Andy Stone criticized the news agency Reutersthat the proposal would not take into account that publishers and news sites also benefit from Facebook.

Stone even threatened that if the law were passed, Meta would remove all news content “rather than submit to government-mandated negotiations that unfairly ignore any value we provide to news outlets through increased traffic and subscriptions.” “

Newspaper publishers slam ‘abuse of big tech’

The so-called News Media Alliance, which represents newspaper publishers, is meanwhile urging the US Congress to add the bill to the defense bill. The trade group argues that “local newspapers cannot afford to endure the use and abuse of big tech for several more years.”

The time to act is also becoming increasingly scarce: “If Congress doesn’t act soon, we risk social media becoming America’s de facto local newspaper.” More than two dozen industry representatives, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Public Knowledge and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, disapproved of the law.

Facebook feed: Similar law in Australia appears to be working

It creates “an ill-advised antitrust exemption for publishers and broadcasters.” A similar law in Australia seems to have worked.

It went into effect in March 2021 after discussions with the tech companies previously led to a short-term shutdown of the Facebook news feed in the country. As Reuters Reported elsewhere, according to a government report, it would largely work since then.

Since the News Media Bargaining Code came into effect, tech giants like Meta and Alphabet have signed more than 30 deals with various media companies, compensating them for content that generated clicks and advertising revenue, according to the report.

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