According to a whistleblower group, Facebook deliberately blocked websites for Australian hospitals. It has also blocked emergency services as a negotiating tactic last year. Social network owned by Silicon Valley tech giant Meta blocked all such content from its platform in 2021, it was lobbying to weaken a proposed law requiring it to pay news providers in Australia. However, the algorithm also blocked other websites. The company claimed was an accident.
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“We meant to exempt Australian government pages from limitations in an effort to lessen the impact of this misguided and harmful legislation,” a Meta spokesperson explained. “We apologized and worked to rectify the situation when we were unable to do so as intended due to a technical error.
” Whistleblower Aid, however, claimed in filings with the US Department of Justice. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission was a Meta ploy. It was first reported in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
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According to the organization. Facebook’s five-day blackout of news content providers “overblocked” local governments, health services, and other sites that provide assistance to vulnerable people. According to the group, the goal was to force the government to weaken the proposed law.
Facebook put people’s lives in danger to protect its bottom line. Shortly after the blackout. Australia passed legislation requiring Facebook to negotiate with news content providers. Lawmakers watered down some of the most onerous proposals.
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