It’s not just news organisations that have been inconvenienced but even the Bureau of Meteorology, Australian Council of Social Services, and other organisations that provide critical information to the community. Facebook’s overbearing flexing of its corporate muscle to silence people needs to be met with alternative arrangements in the form of legislation – which both sides of the political divide could sponsor – that would bring the tech giant to heel.
Who decided what gets published in Australia? Is it the people of Australia and the elected representatives of the nation – a proud nation of individualists that has seen its fair share of collective suffering and joy – or else a small coterie of highly-paid offshore executives whose sole mission in life seems to be avoiding paying taxes?
Time for Australia to stand up and be counted.
So far, it’s been a matter of people being asked politely on TV to go to the native website of the organisation or news outlet to find the information that people need – and without which they cannot survive – to do their business or to stay informed of events. This is one way of dealing with the crisis we’ve been handed by the pusillanimous bean-counters in California. Another way is to ditch Facebook entirely and use Twitter or else LinkedIn. Both of these platforms are credible alternatives for civic minded Australians.
Or else people can write their own news. Maybe News Corp and co can publish pointers showing people how to be journalists – if only for a few hours – in their own living rooms. Memes could also work – everyone loves a laugh.
And we’ve got little to laugh about, that’s for sure.
This all could end up being a good thing for us, reminding us – like Covid-19 – of what’s important in life. Do we really need to chat with Facebook Messenger or else can we use WhatsApp? Do we really need to use Facebook Marketplace or can we use Gumtree? Do we really need to see all those photos of our school mates’ children gambolling innocently in the backyard at a birthday party – or can we just do without? And those reminders of how quirky and unusual our real-life friends are? Or those pointers to new, as-yet-unmet friends whose faces pop up in our feeds, with buttons prompting us to connect?
What is the point of a social media site when it becomes toxic, and when the interests of the few are allowed to supplant those of the many?
Comments