Australia: after blocking news articles, Facebook promises to support local media

After coming under a torrent of criticism for temporarily blocking news articles in Australia in protest of a law asking digital giants to pay media, Facebook promises to invest at least a billion dollars in news content over the next three years.

REUTERS - DADO RUVIC

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

After blocking news articles in Australia, Facebook promises to support local media with $ 1 billion in investments.

But the matter does not end there.

Elsewhere in the world, tech giants are in the sights of several governments,

Publicity

Read more

Facebook's honorable fine comes after the torrent of criticism the US group has faced for blocking news articles in Australia.

This decision was taken in protest against a new law in Canberra.

Law that would force the digital giants to pay the media for the publication of their content.

Investments

A deal has finally been found, but Mark Zuckerberg's group wants to do better.

It promises to invest at least $ 1 billion in news content in Australia over the next three years.

One billion is roughly what Google has agreed to pay by signing licensing agreements with several newspaper publishers, including the German weekly,

Der Spiegel

.

In the crosshairs 

The digital giants are in the crosshairs of several governments, and in particular the European Commission.

However, some French press editors fear that Google will sign individual agreements so as not to have to apply the European directive on neighboring rights.

Read also: Australia: after an agreement, Facebook will restore news content in the country

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Australia

  • Facebook

  • Gafa

  • Media

On the same subject

Australia: the day after, without Facebook

Today the economy, the portrait

Mark Zuckerberg, the boss who challenges Australia

Media column

Facebook tries to bend the law in Australia