Read on Twitter
News Media Code was passed yesterday.
News Media Content blocked today.
So, there you go.
Less than 24 hours and Facebook have completely negated these laws.
And it will be the users who will suffer.
A thread (and rant)
News Media Content blocked today.
So, there you go.
Less than 24 hours and Facebook have completely negated these laws.
And it will be the users who will suffer.
A thread (and rant)
What this action by the Federal Government and Big Tech demonstrates is how complete inept and inadequate neo-liberal philosophy is regarding the digital economy.
Digital business is nothing like 20th century industrial businesses. Rather, companies like Facebook and Google operate entirely on customer experience focused models, empowered by data, controlled by computer code.
Legislation focused on features of a digital platform, such as the News Media Bargaining code will always fail.
This is because the digital company can easily reorganise their business model and rewrite code, that removes the target features.
Just as Facebook has done today.
This is because the digital company can easily reorganise their business model and rewrite code, that removes the target features.
Just as Facebook has done today.
Furthermore, any digital company can easily shut down in one jurisdiction and operate in another where your laws don't reach.
The internet is world wide, free and open. Legislation is not. You can't legislate digital companies, by saying what they should do.
The internet is world wide, free and open. Legislation is not. You can't legislate digital companies, by saying what they should do.
The solution of digital regulation, is not to regulate the feature and functions of the platform (the what), but rather the models and systems, that empower the platform (the why and how).
Neo-liberal political philosophy focuses on the What, which is why it will never work.
Neo-liberal political philosophy focuses on the What, which is why it will never work.
Effective legislation may include:
1. Revenue, data and/or IP based taxation.
2. Data privacy and ownership enforced to the user, not the platform.
3. Data retention limits
4. Identity protection
5. Content types allowed.
6. Legal purpose.
7. Data sharing.
1. Revenue, data and/or IP based taxation.
2. Data privacy and ownership enforced to the user, not the platform.
3. Data retention limits
4. Identity protection
5. Content types allowed.
6. Legal purpose.
7. Data sharing.
Ineffective legislation will include:
- Profit based taxation
- Anything focused on features and functions (as per News Bargaining Code)
- How digital companies should collaborate
- Protecting one industry from digital innovation by another
- Profit based taxation
- Anything focused on features and functions (as per News Bargaining Code)
- How digital companies should collaborate
- Protecting one industry from digital innovation by another
But it's very unlikely that this will happen any time soon.
Because the very same laws that are effective for digital companies like Facebook, will also destroy the political power of companies like NewsCorp.
In the meantime, it is the innocent end-users who will suffer.
Because the very same laws that are effective for digital companies like Facebook, will also destroy the political power of companies like NewsCorp.
In the meantime, it is the innocent end-users who will suffer.
