Facebook cut off access to Australian fire brigade pages, among others.
> The move comes in reaction to the federal government's Online News Act, Bill C-18, which would require the tech giant to pay Canadian media companies for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online
It is very clear that it is due to them not wanting to comply with bill C-18.
Reported on by every major news outlet that I’ve seen
https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2014/dec/12/google...
It remained closed until 2022 when the law was changed and newspapers were allowed to negotiate directly with Google individually.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-news-re-opens-spai...
It's not where I would look for information. But that assumes I know I should be looking.
and the only place to stumble onto information is where one spends the time - facebook, reddit, heck - even hackernews
Only to the extent allowed by news websites headers. Maybe this whole thing could have been solved by politicians understanding tech a little better?
How often do we hear, on HN and elsewhere, people complain about laws they don't like wish politicians better understood what they are legislating? This implies the existence of a technological solution, set by technocrats who "understand" better. Whoever asks the question suggests politicians don't know better, offering that explanation without proof.
Also, for the Free Market enthusiasts out there, why hasn't the market solved this problem? What forces are preventing all parties from working out a technical and economic solution?
This is like mandating car makers to pay whip makers.
> Also, for the Free Market enthusiasts out there, why hasn't the market solved this problem?
Why are assuming the market hasn't solved it? And that too without proof?
> Whoever asks the question suggests politicians don't know better, offering that explanation without proof.
It is easy. There is zero discussion of technology beyond sharing of links in the bill.
Goodbye Meta and Google and other greedy foreign exploiters and don't let the door hit you on the way out.
So they can never make mistakes and be blame free in any scenario?
> refusing to extract their wealth if it can not be done for free, and you're entirely correct.
Yes, now they can keep all their wealth with them. Why are they complaining? Why fret over this if extraction is being stopped by these companies shutting down link sharing?
> Goodbye Meta and Google and other greedy foreign exploiters and don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Yes, it is the foreign companies who are greedy and not rent seeking mega news corps who want $$$ for linking to them lol.
There are no large media companies in Canada, just independent journalism pure in heart and no commercial intent. /s
> greedy foreign exploiters
So xenophobia is a cause for this action?
The law was about news media, Facebook shutdown a bunch of unrelated govt services pages in retaliation.
Facebook definitely deserves a lot of blame. Likely in this case too. I'm pro capitalist as much as the next guy but laws are by the people, if a business wants to extract money from our community it needs to play by our rules.
Facebook cutting access is like a badly raised toddler throwing a tantrum.
> I'm pro capitalist as much as the next guy but laws are by the people, if a business wants to extract money from our community it needs to play by our rules.
Wait, if FB was extracting money, wouldn't FB shutting down linking cause more money to flow into news orgs? Shouldn't you celebrate this as it will reduce the "extraction"?
Why fret over this if extraction is being stopped?
If news orgs truly believe in extraction, they would be celebrating this shutdown in the streets.
> Facebook cutting access is like a badly raised toddler throwing a tantrum.
In the free world, we are allowed to choose our actions to some extent.