Condeming Facebook’s attack on Australia and democracy

THIS is an Open Letter in response to Facebook’s decision to take down news in Australia.

On February 18, 2021, Facebook took down content from countless Australian pages. News publishers, political parties, charities, not for profits, faith groups, and community organisations have all been affected.

This is the largest content takedown event in Facebook history.

Access to reliable and quality information is integral to our democracy and our society.

Facebook’s decision to take down this content in Australia is an extreme, and nuclear option. And gives room for misinformation and hate speech to fill the void left behind.

Facebook is one of the world’s largest companies, with a near monopoly over the distribution of information on social media in Australia.

And now they are borrowing from the playbook of authoritarians and dictators, holding Australians hostage to benefit their own business interests.

We, as organisations committed to democracy, call on Facebook to immediately reverse its catastrophic decision. We urge Facebook’s Oversight Board members to join us or step down.

We stand with Australians against Facebook’s attack on democracy.

Signed by over 40 Australian organisations including Reset Australia, Australian Council of Trade Unions, The Minderoo Foundation, Sumofus, Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (Australia), Centre for Law and Democracy, Plan International Australia, Save The Children Australia, Victorian Trades Hall Council, Australian Council of Social Service, Human Rights Law Centre, Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology, Australian Conservation Foundation, National Union of Students Australia, One Woman Project, White Ribbon Australia, Asian Australian Alliance, Immunisation Foundation of Australia, Global Forum for Media Development, Free Press Unlimited, Fair Vote UK, Community Media Forum Europe, and Bangladesh NGOS Network for Radio & Communication.

Bridge info revealed

The Editor,

In relation to the various options for a new bridge crossing over the river at Dubbo, a very interesting result was exposed in the “Benefit-cost data”. (Dubbo Photo News revealed last week that the state government’s own information showed that the River Street Bridge option didn’t stack up and that the Troy Bridge option wasn’t even subject to a Cost-benefit Analysis).

I wonder why the Nationals are so keen to go ahead if it is not the best option?

Dugald Saunders was not available to respond to the findings because “it’s believed he was in State Parliament”. That is a “cop out” and a lame excuse.

Why so I say that? Parliament House is mainly made up of MP offices, the Legislative Council Chamber and the Legislative Assembly Chamber. MPS do not sit in the Chambers all the time Parliament is ‘sitting’. (You can watch the sittings on the computer and see for yourself, I did).

They are only in the Chamber if they put a motion or a topic is discussed which is of interest to them. The rest of the time MPS are in their offices attending to normal matters – returning phone calls, answering emails, etc.

What is being debated/discussed in the Chamber is broadcast in all MP’S offices. The only time that all MPS who are present in Parliament House are in the Chamber is after a bell (called a division bell) rings in each MP’S office, which means that there is to be a vote and they must all attend in the Chamber.

How do I know all of this? I worked for a Senator in Federal Parliament.

This means that Dugald Saunders

could have responded to the request to make a statement about the findings, but he chose not to. If the result of the “Benefit-cost data” would have been in favour of the Nationals I suspect Dugald Saunders would have been only too happy to respond.

Kate Bailey,

Ponto

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Thumbs Up to all the very kind and caring people that helped me after I had a fall at Delroy Park Shopping Centre last week. People stayed with me, made sure I was kept out of the sun and then went to get me help – so very kind and very much appreciated. Thank you!

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Thumbs Down to the horrible construction being built against what was our gracious old Dubbo courthouse. Shame on the state government.

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Thumbs Down to the administrators of Dubbo’s buy/swap/sell sites who allow too many out-of-towners to advertise, especially people from other areas who are just on-selling junk they’re importing from cheap wage nations. If you’re going to be an admin for these sites, do your job or get out of town.

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Thumbs Up to Stuart Town Iron Bark Inn Pub. Large group of our family and friends gathered there for Lunch on Valentine’s Day. We were so well looked after. Food was fantastic and friendly atmosphere. We shall all be back again!

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Thumbs Down to the cat owners in lower Naman Street. Please lock your pets up at night, the fighting between them and catching birds needs to stop!

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to the NSW Education Department for allowing bullying to flourish at South Campus. The people in charge are in denial but it’s happening on a daily basis and our kids don’t feel safe going to school. Thanks NSW for making this a reality in 2021, where preventing bad publicity is given a higher priority than the safety of our children.

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Thumbs Up to the kind gentlemen who offered to assist me crossing the road in Macquarie Street on Thursday morning. Much appreciated.

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Thumbs Up to Kevin Hewett. Well recommended for his excellent professional clean of my lounge and carpet. Thank you.

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Thumbs Up to Facebook for not wanting to pay the federal government’s corporate media mate’s money to basically advertise their ‘news’ content for free, which the social media giant has been doing for years. Thumbs Down to our politicians, I hope Facebook blocks all their social media accounts as they’re only putting out propaganda anyway. The Boys’ Club lives on in Australia.

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Thumbs Down to anyone who can’t see Facebook for what is – just a huge Us-owned monopoly that harbors criminals and lies, and is the root cause of much of the unrest in the world today. Facebook treats each of its users as a product, to be sold to the highest advertiser/bidder, it has paid little or no tax in Australia for its entire existence, and almost all of the $674 million in revenues it made in Australia in 2019 was shipped off to America. Worst of all, sadly, the rise of Facebook has coincided with a rise in youth suicide rates around the world, with studies showing a direct link between the usage of social media and poor mental health. Shame on any Australian who would leap to the defence of Facebook.

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Thumbs Up to Jill at Dubbo City Council who answers the main phone line – she was most friendly and helpful with my phone enquiry, thank you.

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Thumbs Up to Home Sweet Home in Dubbo, the two ladies who work there are upfront about things and don’t try to over-sell. They’re also very knowledgeable about their products.

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Thumbs Down to our local politicians – one thing with a lower Benefit-cost Ratio (BCR) than the River Street Bridge is the salary payments made to our local MPS.

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Thumbs Up to Hannafords Tyre Service at the bottom end of Fitzroy Street for their most wonderful service to an aged pensioner. They repaired my golf buggy tyres beyond reasonably, and with a smile.