Australia the day after Facebook pulled the plug:

Gizmodo:
Facebook has endangered public safety by blocking news on the platform in Australia during the covid-19 pandemic, according to Australia's Treasurer Josh Frydenberg a high-ranking official in the country's ruling Liberal Party.
https://gizmodo.com/facebook-endangered-public-safety-by-blocking-news-duri-1846303931

The Guardian:
It's hard to think of a better way for a platform to anger a nation and destroy what's left of its own reputation than to block health and hospital sites in a pandemic, emergency service sites in a state that recently battled bushfires and the sites of innumerable welfare groups, charities and community organisations, all in a bid to avoid making payments under a new media bargaining code that aims to address the power imbalance between media companies and the big tech platforms.
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...ithout-it-imagine-if-we-prove-them-wrong

Associated Press:

"Zuckerberg's flex here shows how he can disrupt global access to the news in a heartbeat," said Jennifer Grygiel, a social media expert and professor at Syracuse University. "No company should have this much influence over access to journalism."
https://apnews.com/article/business...kerberg-e0b545d3ba541c2de8389c6bd0a6f23f

David Cicilline, a Democratic congressman from Rhode Island:
If it is not already clear, Facebook is not compatible with democracy.
Threatening to bring an entire country to its knees to agree to Facebook's terms is the ultimate admission of monopoly power.
https://twitter.com/davidcicilline/status/1362172969699704833?s=20

Meanwhile in the Daily Mail:

WhatsApp pushes ahead with change that will allow Facebook to access data


WhatsApp said on Thursday it will go ahead with its controversial privacy policy update but will allow users to read it at 'their own pace' and will also display a banner providing additional information.

In January, the messaging platform informed users it was preparing a new privacy policy, under which it could share limited user data with Facebook and its group firms.

It sparked a global outcry and sent users to rival apps Telegram and Signal, among others, prompting WhatsApp to delay the new policy launch to May and to clarify the update was focused on allowing users to message with businesses and would not affect personal conversations.

In India, the messaging app's biggest user base, Facebook executives fielded questions from a parliamentary panel on the need for the changes, days after the country's technology ministry asked the messaging platform to withdraw them.

In its latest blog, WhatsApp said it will start reminding users to review and accept updates to keep using the messaging platform.

'We've also included more information to try and address concerns we're hearing,' it added.

WhatsApp's announcement comes as parent Facebook moved to block all news content in Australia on Thursday, facing backlash from publishers and politicians, prompting a senior British lawmaker to label the move as an attempt to bully a democracy.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ralias-fight-make-Facebook-pay-news.html


Live and let live