Australia v Facebook: PM claims tech giant 'back at the table' after executive's apology

Executive Simon Milner apologised after Facebook banned access to health accounts before coronavirus vaccine rollout

The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, says Facebook is back at the negotiating table after blocking news on its site. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

Australia’s prime minister says Facebook is back at the negotiating table after the tech giant this week blocked news on its site in the country.

However, despite Scott Morrison saying Facebook has “tentatively friended us again”, the company has publicly indicated no change in its opposition to the proposed law requiring social media platforms to pay for links to news content.

Senior Facebook Asia-Pacific executive Simon Milner was on Friday forced to apologize after the company banned access to accounts run by government bodies and state health departments.

This came before the national rollout of the coronavirus vaccine from Monday.

Morrison on Saturday said he welcomed Milner’s apology, adding that Facebook’s closure of the public information accounts was indefensible.

Publish : 2021-02-21 01:29:00

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