Australia’s antitrust chief claims a win over Facebook in news battle
Summary
Australias antitrust chief on Wednesday claimed a victory over Facebook in a digital news battle that has captivated the world over the last week. The ban was short lived, however, with Facebook cutting a deal with the Australian government on Monday that will see it add news pages back to its platform. "This is a significant step in maintaining a vibrant and diverse Australian news media sector which is essential for our society and democracy," said Sims. "The code will address a significant bargaining power imbalance between Australian news media businesses and major digital platforms," he added. The codes introduction to Parliament has already resulted in a number of commercial deals between news businesses and Google and Facebook, the ACCC said.