Facebook says we've been forced to block media in Australia because of the law

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Credit: AFP Photo

Facebook Inc said on Thursday that it blocked media content in Australia because the draft law did not provide clear guidance on the definition of news content and said its commitment to combat misinformation had not changed.

"The actions we're taking are focused on restricting publishers and people in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content," a company spokesman said.

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"As the law does not provide clear guidance on the definition of news content, we have taken a broad definition in order to respect the law as drafted. However, we will reverse any Pages that are inadvertently impacted," the spokesman said.