In an unprescedented move, Facebook has blocked all Australian users from seeing, sharing and interacting with any form of news on its website. This extends beyond Australian borders, as users worldwide will not be able to access news articles from Australian news outlets.

The move was Facebook’s reaction to a recently proposed law in Australia that would force the social media company to pay news publishers for hosting their content.

How Will This Affect Me?

The answer really boils down to how you utilise Facebook as a social media platform.

• If you’re someone who uses Facebook for its intended purpose i.e. social networking and messaging friends and family, then you might not notice much of a difference.

• If you use Facebook to keep yourself up to date on the latest news and media, there’s going to be a perceivable difference. Facebook has taken down all posts from any page that they deem to be a news outlet, meaning any past posts cannot be seen and all future posts prohibited.

• If you’re a business owner who relies on publishing news to your websites and Facebook pages, you will not be able to share any form of news or create new posts until the foreseeable future. However, the debate is ongoing, and with the vast amount of digital platforms for news sharing that we have access to, there are always alternatives available.

What’s Going to Happen in the Future?

News on Facebook will continue to be restricted until Facebook is able to make a deal with the Australian government, similar to that of Google.

Although these sudden changes may seem alarming to some, it’s not all doom and gloom. As stated previously, these changes will only have a major impact on pages that exist solely to provide news, and there’s hope on the horizon as Facebook and the government continue to negotiate.