Meta gets rid of Facebook News tab in US, Australia

SYDNEY: Facebook has said that it would discontinue its Facebook News tab in the United States and Australia, starting in early April, reported German news agency (dpa).

Facebook also said in an update published on Thursday that it would not enter new commercial deals for news content on Facebook News in Australia, France and Germany once existing agreements with publishers in those countries expire. Its deals with British and US publishers have already expired.

The company said it does not foresee launching new products specifically tailored for news publishers in the future.

The news comes three years after Facebook agreed to support publishers of its choosing in Australia after a tough battle with the government in Canberra about paying for content. The row had briefly prompted Facebook to ban Australian news content from its platform.

The Australian government on Friday blasted Facebook parent company Meta's decision "to no longer pay for news content in a number of jurisdictions" which it said "represents a dereliction of its commitment to the sustainability of Australian news media".

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said in a joint statement that Canberra was seeking advice on "next steps."

"The decision removes a significant source of revenue for Australian news media businesses," the statement said. "Australian news publishers deserve fair compensation for the content they provide."

Facebook said that the move to discontinue its Facebook News tab in Australia and the US, which follows similar actions in the UK, France and Germany in September, is part of its "ongoing effort to better align our investments to our products and services people value the most".

The decision stems from Facebook's acknowledgement that its users primarily visit the platform for social connections and exploring their passions, rather than for news and political content.

"The number of people using Facebook News in Australia and the US has dropped by over 80 per cent last year," the update said. According to Facebook's data, news content makes up less than 3 per cent of what users see in their Facebook feeds globally.

Other Meta products and services in these countries will remain unaffected by the change, it said. Users can still access news articles through shared links on the platform.

-- BERNAMA

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