Facebook has been blasted by the Australian Government for making it easier for paedophiles to get away with sharing child abuse material ...
Facebook has been blasted by the Australian Government for making it easier for paedophiles to get away with sharing child abuse material on the platform - on the same day as the company's 'disgraceful' decision to block Australian news.
The US tech giant has infuriated Australians after blocking them from reading and sharing local news in response to a world-first law to make tech giants pay media companies for the content they use.
The extraordinary move has also stopped Australians from accessing vital information in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic with public health, charity and emergency services pages also being blocked by the company's algorithm change.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told Daily Mail Australia the brazen act showed the company's 'arrogance' in dealing with Australian government policy and law.
Facebook has been blasted by the Australian Government for making it easier for paedophiles to get away with sharing child abuse material on the platform. Pictured: Paedophile arrest
Accessing suspects' online footprint has proved crucial to police investigations. Pictured: The computer set up of an alleged paedophile in Queensland
A furious Mr Dutton said the company will introduce encrypted messaging later this year that will make it even harder for Australian authorities to intercept sick pedophile conversations and child abuse image and video sharing.
'Facebook's arrogance isn't restricted to their decision to ban Australian news,' Mr Dutton said on Thursday.
'Their push for end-to-end encryption will make it easier for paedophiles to share child sexual exploitation material.'
End-to-end encryption, which is already used by Facebook-owned WhatsApp and Apple's iMessage, means that only the people communicating can see their messages, protecting users' privacy but also preventing police from accessing vital evidence.
Accessing suspects' online footprint has proved crucial to police investigations and recently helped snare 'bin bag paedo' Richard George Aldinger, 63, who live-streamed the abuse of a 12-year-old girl in the Philippines.
Former A Current Affair journalist Ben McCormack was also famously busted for promoting child abuse after police trawled through his sick Skype messages with a Catholic primary school teacher who fantasised about raping little boys as young as three.
Mr Dutton fears that thousands of paedophiles will never be caught under the new secret messaging system.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
'I think it's a complete outrage. I think there is a moral obligation on people like Mark Zuckerberg to step up and do the right thing,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'At the moment they're facilitating these criminals, these networks, these organised criminal syndicates who are exploiting and destroying the lives of young children and we need to call it out.'
The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in the US estimates Facebook pushing ahead with end to end encryption will see reporting of child sexual abuse decrease by up to 50 per cent.
More than 90 per cent of referrals to the centre are made by Facebook and they have resulted in over 30,000 reports being made to Australian officials for investigation.
Facebook announced its move to end-end-encryption in March 2019 and it is due to come into play in Australia later this year.
The company believes end-to-end encryption is the best security tool available to protect Australians from cybercriminals and hackers and will still use other investigative techniques and analytical tools to root out paedophiles.
A Facebook spokesman said: 'We have zero tolerance for any behaviour that exploits children and we work closely with law enforcement agencies in Australia and around the world to report and remove harmful content.
'We take strong action against any user who shares content that exploits or endangers children, including banning the user and reporting the matter to the relevant authorities.
'Facebook leads the industry in combating child abuse online and we'll continue to do so on our private messaging services.'
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton (pictured) is furious about the company's decision to introduce encrypted messaging later this year
The spokesman said that WhatsApp moderators ban 300,000 accounts every month globally by using photo-matching technology to identify child abuse images in profile photos.
Mr Dutton was among several ministers to slam Facebook on Thursday after its extraordinary move to ban news content in Australia.
When users go on reliable Facebook news accounts, including the ABC, 7News and Daily Mail Australia, they are met with a message saying there are 'no posts' available - hiding news content which is visible to those overseas.
Even the Australian Greens Facebook page, the Bureau of Meteorology and domestic violence charities were banned from posting updates.
Facebook's extraordinary move to ban news contrasted with Google, which in recent days has brokered deals with media groups, including Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the action was 'heavy-handed and will damage its reputation here in Australia'.
Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (pictured) slammed Facebook's move - calling it 'Fakebook'
Health Minister Greg Hunt said blasted the social media giant for denying Australians access to fundamental health, mental health and vaccination information.
'Facebook has taken steps, which are unprecedented and reprehensible,' he said.
'Unacceptable in a democracy such as this and an abuse of their power.'
Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud was adamant the government would fight back against Facebook.
'The Australian people and its government will not be bullied by some big tech company that is putting people as lives at risk and putting profits ahead of people,' he said.
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan said he did not agree with this stifling of free speech.
'We already have laws that stop foreigners interfering in political debates. Facebook at least appears to be acting against the spirit of those laws,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'Any overseas companies that try to unduly control the free speech of Australians should be sent packing.'
Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, said Mark Zuckerberg is behaving like North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un (right) by stopping access to independent news
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan (centre) told Daily Mail Australia he did not agree with this stifling of free speech. He's pictured with Liberal Senators Eric Abetz (left) and Hollie Hughes (right)
Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said Mark Zuckerberg is behaving like North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
Mr Joyce said the decision meant Facebook resembled North Korea which tightly controls which news and information its citizens can access and relentlessly publishes propaganda supporting the leadership.
'Journalism is essential for the functioning of democracy. If you don't want journalism then go to North Korea,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'This is a North Korean policy agency being pursued by Facebook,' he added.
Mr Joyce said the government should consider issuing licences that grant permission for social media companies to operate in Australia to make sure they act in the national interest.
'If they leave then so what? Another platform will be set up,' he said.
Mr Joyce added: 'When I look up at the press gallery in Parliament or when I walk around Tamworth, I don't see a Facebook bureau or a Google bureau - so if they want to benefit from journalism done by others then they need to pay for it.
'It took 10,000 years of human experience to gain the liberties we enjoy today and the investigatory endeavours of paid journalists is a crucial pillar of that. To have journalism you need real presence and advertising.
'If Facebook wants to embezzle the process they can return to their garage and table tennis.'
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce (pictured) called on the federal government to consider issuing licences that grant permission for social media companies to operate in Australia
Communications Minister Paul Fletcher (pictured) insists the government 'will be proceeding' with the new law which sparked the Facebook ban
Communications Minister Paul Fletcher has insisted the government will not back down and said the publisher could either abide by Australia's laws or leave the country.
Mr Fletcher said the government 'will be proceeding' with the new law, which passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday night and looks set to pass the Senate within days.
'We want Google and Facebook to stay in Australia but we have been very clear that if you do business in Australia, you need to comply with the laws passed by the elected Parliament of this nation,' he told the ABC on Thursday morning.
But Mr Fletcher didn't rule out tweaking the code after continuing discussions with Facebook.
Treasurer Josh Treasurer spoke to CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday morning and revealed the pair were trying to find 'a path forward'.
'Let's allow those discussions to continue and, at the same time, let's continue with the process of legislating the code,' Mr Fletcher said.
Facebook's decision means its nine million daily users in Australia can no longer view any news - even from foreign websites.
Australian Facebook users can't even share content they find interesting with friends and family, and those overseas can't read or access any content from Down Under either.
The law 'fundamentally misunderstands' the relationship between tech platforms and publishers, Facebook said, adding that it has helped Australian publishers earn about AU$407 million last year through referrals (pictured: Another black Australian news site)
A screenshot shows a notification from Facebook that explains a news article cannot be shared
Minister Fletcher said Facebook's move is likely to increase the amount disinformation on Facebook.
'There are already questions about the credibility of information and sources on the Facebook platform,' he told Ben Fordham on 2GB radio.
'They're basically saying to Australians: ''If you're looking for reliable news, Facebook is not the place to look for it''.'
Think tank Reset Australia said the moved showed Mr Zuckerberg does not care 'about Australian society and cohesion'.
'Facebook is telling Australians that rather than participate meaningfully in regulatory efforts, it would prefer to operate a platform in which real news has been abandoned or de-prioritised, leaving misinformation to fill the void,' said director Chris Cooper.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who ferociously grilled Facebook and Google representatives in a senate inquiry last month, slammed the move.
'Blocking Australian news overnight, while allowing hate speech and dangerous conspiracy theories run rampant.
'Facebook has just confirmed it really is just FakeBook,' she said.
Those in favour of the law say the rules are needed to 'protect public interest journalism' by making sure outlets are paid for content social media and search engine users read and share.
But industry giants Google and Facebook strongly oppose the rule, arguing that it does not fully comprehend the relationship between tech companies and news outlets.
The law 'fundamentally misunderstands' the relationship between tech platforms and publishers, Facebook said, adding that it has helped Australian publishers earn about $407million last year through referrals.
The move has already been slammed as 'very worrying' by journalists and media experts, who fear the lack of proper, verified news will help spread false information online.
The decision means Daily Mail Australia's nearly five million followers can no longer access our news content on Facebook
A release from the company says: 'The proposed law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers who use it to share news content.
'It has left us facing a stark choice: attempt to comply with a law that ignores the realities of this relationship, or stop allowing news content on our services in Australia.
'With a heavy heart, we are choosing the latter.'
It adds: 'We were prepared to launch Facebook News in Australia and significantly increase our investments with local publishers, however, we were only prepared to do this with the right rules in place.'
Facebook said Australian users will not be able read or share news content on the platform, and Australian news publishers will be restricted from posting or sharing content on Facebook pages.
Satirical news sites including the Betoota Advocate, The Shovel and The Chaser have been been caught up in Facebook's ban on Australians sharing news.
Discussions between Mr Frydenberg and Mr Zuckerberg on Sunday led the former to believe a deal was imminent.
'They are very focused on what's happening here in Australia, but I sense they are also trying to reach deals, and that is welcome,' Mr Frydenberg said.
A government-controlled senate committee has already recommended the new bargaining code, which affects digital platforms and news media, be passed.
The move is a response to the country's proposed Media Bargaining law, which forces tech companies like Facebook and Google to negotiate with news providers to feature their content (pictured: A blank news site on Facebook)
Google has also threatened to shut down its search engine in the country to avoid 'unworkable' content laws.
On Thursday, the search engine giant signed a global deal to pay for content from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp after Australian media companies negotiated terms with the tech giant.
The Silicon Valley behemoth has been making hasty arrangements with Australian media firms after lawmakers said they would consider forcing Big Tech to pay for the content it reproduces on its platforms.
Australia's two largest free-to-air TV stations, Seven West Media and Nine Entertainment, have already reportedly struck deals with Google collectively worth $60million a year.
News Corp said it would receive 'significant payments' from Google in its three-year agreement, which wraps in the Times and the Sun newspapers in the UK, the Wall Street Journal and New York Post in the US, and Sky News TV channel in Australia.
The deal spans audio and video and News Corp will also get an ad revenue share from Google.
Scott Morrison (pictured) has also been involved in the talks - speaking to high-level executives at Google and Facebook
News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson thanked Australian officials in a statement, saying they 'have stood firm for their country and for journalism'.
Mr Frydenberg confirmed earlier on Wednesday that the state-owned Australian Broadcasting Corporation was also in negotiations and planned to spend any Google revenue on regional journalism.
'There are negotiations going on with all the major players and the minor players at the moment,' Mr Frydenberg said.
'This will help sustain public interest journalism in this country for years to come.'
Mr Frydenberg said 'none of these deals would be happening' if not for proposed legislation to create a so-called News Media Bargaining Code.
Politicians were debating amended legislation to create the code in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The code would create an arbitration panel to set a binding price for news in cases where Google and Facebook failed to reach deals with media companies whose original journalism they linked to.
'Everything that I have heard from parties, both in the news media business and in terms of digital platforms, is that these are generous deals,' Mr Frydenberg said.
'These are fair deals. These are good deals. These are good deals for the Australian media businesses.'
The ban has stunned ABC News Breakfast co-host Michael Rowland, who tweeted: 'Facebook to ban users in Australia from viewing or sharing Australian and international news content. Wow!'
He later tweeted that the ABC Facebook feed had gone black.
'Unbelievable,' he posted.
Federal MP Rebekha Sharkie later told the program Facebook risked becoming 'irrelevant'.
'Look, I guess we're a small market in Australia and I guess Facebook feels that they can flex their muscles,' she said.
'Ultimately, I think they would have to be very careful that they don't become irrelevant. We can all only look at so many funny cat videos.
'People mainly get their news content from Facebook or other services and I think people will perhaps look at other platforms if Facebook aren't willing to share.
Other journalists have taken to Twitter to express their shock.
'Facebook's move to stop Australians from seeing or sharing news content will only see more disinformation spread on FB, with no ability to post factual news stories to rebut the nonsense. This is very worrying,' Guardian journalist Josh Taylor told News Breakfast.
News Corp signed a three-year deal for its content with Google on Wednesday. The sum paid by the tech giant was not disclosed but Rupert Murdoch's outfit said it would receive 'significant payments'
Google and Facebook, which take a combined 81 per cent of online advertising in Australia, have condemned the code as unworkable.
Mr Frydenberg said after weekend talks with Facebook chief Mr Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Alphabet, and its subsidiary Google, that he was convinced the platforms 'do want to enter into these commercial arrangements'.
'We have held the line and held it strongly,' Mr Frydenberg said.
'And the digital giants have been left in no doubt about the ... government's resolve.'
Google confirmed it was 'in discussions with publishers large and small'. It did not provide News Corp deal terms.
Facebook was also said to seeking news deals, but said it did not have 'anything to confirm at this time'.
The Australian deals with Google are being negotiated under Google's own model, News Showcase.
The company has reached pay deals with more than 450 publications globally since it launched News Showcase in October.
The Australian deals dwarf the $76million Google will split between 121 publishers in France over three years, which averages $209,000 a year per publishe
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