So, Facebook (or Meta, as it’s officially known now) is ditching the news game in Australia. Surprise, surprise. After all those years of cozying up to the media, promising to support high-quality journalism, they’ve decided it’s just not worth it. If you remember the fable of the scorpion and the frog, it’s pretty much the same story. The scorpion, true to its nature, stings the frog midway through their journey. For Facebook, that sting was pulling the plug on paying for news under Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code.
The Addiction Problem
Facebook’s grip on users is like a bad habit. It’s engineered to be addictive—think smoking but for your brain. Whistleblower Frances Haugen spilled the beans that Facebook knew its products were harmful but chose profit over user safety. That’s just the beginning. Facebook has let hate speech, misinformation, and even data exploitation run wild. Remember Cambridge Analytica? Or the campaign against journalist Maria Ressa? It’s clear: Facebook’s priorities are more about profit and less about doing right by its users or journalists.
A Missed Opportunity?
Facebook didn’t pay up when the opportunity arose to support journalism in Australia. It was a chance to counter misinformation and back quality reporting. But no, they opted out, which, ironically, might have been a blessing in disguise. The Albanese government could force Facebook to pay for news under the News Media Bargaining Code, but if they did, Facebook might just pack up and leave. Either way, we’d be better off. As Peter Greste put it, Meta’s goals and democracy’s needs don’t really line up.
What Can We Do?
Here’s the deal: don’t let Facebook get a free pass. Encourage folks to ditch the Facebook news feed and sign up for reputable news sources. The Conversation’s daily newsletter is a great start and totally free. We’ve also got some cool weekly newsletters, like Science Wrap and Books & Ideas, if you’re into that. Bookmark our homepage if you’re reading us at home or work.
In Australia, at least, we don’t have to let the scorpion keep stinging.