[user104658]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Sounds like something China would do rather than somewhere in the Anglosphere...

It wasn't Australia that did it though, it was Facebook.

I think this story is a little muddied/unclear with people thinking that the Aus government has blocked people sharing news on Facebook... it is actually Facebook that has stopped users in Australia from being able to do so, and it seems to be over some sort of disagreement with the Aussie government (a technicaly/financial/tax disagreement of some sort? I'm not really sure about that part.)

Either way, it's more about Facebook being petty than anyone actually trying to restrict the flow of information. Or rather, Facebook ARE restricting the flow of information, but it's "in retaliation" rather than because they actually have any interest in restricting information.

The obvious answer of course is that it's 2021 and no one should use Facebook for anything other than reporting a lost pet, or asking around for a decent plumber.