Attempts to pressurise Australia through Big Tech will not be tolerated, Australian PM Scott Morrison slams

Canberra: – Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison reprimanded Facebook with sharp words; the closure of Facebook services in Australia is a glaring example of what the Big Tech companies can do as they feel they are above the government and no rules apply to them. Such actions justify the apprehensions of other countries towards these companies. But Australia will not tolerate the efforts to pressurise and threaten the Parliament. A strong reaction regarding the action of Facebook has been received even from the United States and David Cicilline, chief of the Congressional committee, said that threatening a country to kneel to accept the conditions of Facebook amounts to a confession to monopolistic policies.

‘Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’, the Australian regulatory body, formulated certain rules for companies like Facebook and Google. News Media Bargaining Code was the bill presented in the Australian Parliament for this purpose. As per this bill, Google and Facebook will have to pay the concerned media companies and dailies for the news carried on their websites. There is a provision to impose a fine in case they failed to comply. The bill is currently being discussed in the Australian Parliament.

A few weeks ago, during the hearing, Melany Silva, the Chief of Google for Australia and New Zealand, had warned that the google search services in Australia would have to be closed. But after discussions, Google reduced its opposition to the bill and has signed an agreement with a leading media company in Australia. But Facebook, firm on its adamant and aggressive stand, shut down the Facebook services in Australia, from Thursday, without any warning. Facebook has clarified in the statement issued in this respect that this decision was taken given the bill brought in the Australian Parliament.

But Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and other senior Ministers have adopted an aggressive stand against Facebook and have retaliated. Prime Minister Morrison said ‘The decision of Facebook to severe the Australian friendship is adamant and very unfortunate. Big Tech companies consider themselves above the country governments and believe that they are above the law. The Facebook action has proved that the concerns being expressed around the world are not unfounded. These companies may be claiming to change the world, but hey should not think that they have the authority to run the world. Australia is not scared of the threats of these Big Tech companies. Australia has stood firm even against the threats issued by Amazon in the past.’

Australian Health Minister, Greig Hunt, criticised that the Facebook action is an attack on a sovereign country and freedom of the people. Australian Finance Minister, Josh Frydenberg, claimed that Facebook has committed a blunder and warned that its image in Australia has taken a perpetual hit. Intense reactions have been received even from the United States and other countries regarding the Facebook action and senior US Congressmen criticised that Facebook is not coherent with democracy. Reports of delete Facebook campaign being initiated on social media have also been received and it is said to be getting a response.