FB to lift ban on Oz news
Firm to pay local media companies for content after deal on legislation
THE SOCIAL media firm sparked global outrage last week by blacking out news for its Australian users in protest at the proposed legislation, and inadvertently blocking a series of non-news Facebook pages linked to everything from cancer charities to emergency response services.
Sydney, Feb. 23: Facebook said Tuesday it will lift a contentious ban on Australian news and pay local media companies for content, after a last-gasp deal on pending landmark legislation. Australia's Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced a face-saving compromise that will see Google and Facebook plunge tens of millions of dollars into the struggling local news sector.
In return the US digital firms will, for now, avoid being subjected to mandatory payments that could cost them vastly more and create what they see as an alarming global precedent.
Just hours after the compromise was unveiled, Facebook announced its first proposed deal with an Australian media company, Seven West, and was said to be pursuing commercial deals with other local news organisations.
The company is expected to use the content to launch a dedicated news product in Australia later this year. “As a result of these changes, we can now work to further our investment in public interest journalism, and restore news on
Facebook for Australians in the coming days,” said Will Easton, managing director of Facebook Australia. The social media firm sparked global outrage last week by blacking out news for its Australian users in protest at the proposed legislation, and inadvertently blocking a series of non-news Facebook pages linked to everything from cancer charities to emergency response services.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison had angrily accused Facebook of making a decision to “unfriend” Australia. Google has already brokered deals worth millions of dollars with local media companies, including the two largest: Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and Nine Entertainment.
Commentators described the eleventh-hour amendments — which came as parliament looks set to pass the law this week — as “a reasonable compromise”. “Everybody can walk away saying, well we got what we wanted,” University of New South Wales business professor Rob Nicholls said.
Both companies now have an additional two months to reach further agreements that would stave off binding arbitration.
The tech firms had fiercely opposed the legislation from the get-go, fearing it would threaten their business models.
In particular, the companies objected to rules that made negotiations with media companies mandatory and gave an independent Australian arbiter the right to impose a monetary settlement.
That process will now be avoided if companies are deemed to have made a “significant contribution” to the Australian news industry through unspecified “commercial agreements”. “We now face the strange possibility that the news media mandatory code could be passed by parliament and it applies to precisely no one,” said Marcus Strom, head of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, a union.
“It will just sit in the Treasurer's (drawer) as a threat to misbehaving digital companies.” Google was also keen to avoid creating a precedent that platforms should pay anyone for links, something that could make their flagship search engine unworkable.
Facebook — which is much less reliant on news content — had initially said being forced to pay for news was simply not worth it and shut down content. “There is no doubt that Australia has been a proxy battle for the world,” said Frydenberg.
Critics of the law say it punishes innovative companies and amounts to a money grab by struggling but politically connected traditional media.
Thousands of journalism jobs and scores of news outlets have been lost in Australia alone over the past decade as the sector watched advertising revenue flow to the digital players.
For every $100 spent by Australian advertisers today, $49 goes to Google and $24 to Facebook, according to the country's competition watchdog.
Tech insiders see the legislation as driven, in particular, by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, which dominates the local media landscape and has close ties with Australia's conservative government.
A new provision in the law gives Facebook and Google more discretion over who they do deals with, and what the sums involved would be.
“We have come to an agreement that will allow us to support the publishers we choose to, including small and local publishers,” said Facebook vice president for global news partnerships Campbell Brown.
Facebook and Google could still face the prospect of having to replicate deals with media worldwide, as the European Union, Canada and other jurisdictions move to regulate the sec
Panchkula, G. Sathiyan ended his long wait for a national title with a convincing 4-2 win over nine-time champion Sharath Kamal in the 82nd National Table Tennis Championships here on Tuesday. Sathiyan prevailed 11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8.
Hyderabad’s SFR Snehit, who made a good run to the semifinals, was stopped by the eventual champion in the last four stage. Sathiyan sailed past Snehit in straight games at 13-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5.
Sathiyan had rued his missed chances against Sharath in the final at Cuttack a couple of years ago. That win had put Sharath, the current world No.32, on a high pedestal. On Tuesday, it was a different Sathiyan. So was Sharath, who was not at his usual self as he lost momentum in the fifth game of the men’s singles final.
“Third time I was lucky, no more jinx. A huge burden off my shoulder, said Sathiyan. Before Cuttack, he had missed out at Pondicherry (2014) and Hyderabad (2015). The win on Tuesday also helped him carry home `2.50 lakh as prize money.
Taking a
Feb.
2-0
23:
lead,
Sathiyan made his intentions loud and clear. But he knows his experienced opponent can change the flow of the match in a matter of minutes. And Sharath did strike, taking the next two games. But, as has been seen very often, Sharath had his
problems unable to land the ball. Converting those moments to his advantage, Sathiyan nailed it again and went 3-2 up.
As if on cue, Sathiyan kept his backhand blocks and forehand scorchers going, pushing Sharath on the backfoot as hard as
possible. Sharath allowed Sathiyan to take control of the match slowly but surely. It’s equally important to give full credit to Sathiyan, the new champion, who punched his way up the ladder with a lot of hard work.
“In the end, it was a good
match, and he deserved to win, said the genial Sharath.
He attributed the loss to the lack of concentration in the fifth game after leading 8-6. Two crucial mistakes cost me dearly at that stage. But Sathiyan let me off the hook in the third to come back. These are part of the game. I am happy for him, he added.
With age catching up with Sharath, he is not yet giving up chasing his 10th title. “I will certainly come back strong and aim for it,” he said. —
THE RESULTS
■ Final: G. Sathiyan (PSPB) bt A. Sharath Kamal (PSPB)
11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 118. Semifinals: G. Sathiyan bt SFR Snehit (Telangana) 1311, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5; A. Sharath Kamal bt Manav Thakkar (PSPB) 11-8, 5-11, 14-12, 11-9,
9-11, 17-15.
Ahmedabad, Feb. 23: A virgin Motera strip has become the big talking point as India captain Virat Kohli prepares the right pink ball questionnaire to trouble a spoiltfor-choice England in the day-night third Test starting here on Wednesday.
Ahmedabad as a cricketing venue has been witness to a lot of cricketing feats in Indian cricket — from Sunil Gavaskar’s famous late cut to complete 10,000 runs in Tests to Kapil Dev’s best bowling figures of 9 for 83 and also him eclipsing Richard Hadlee’s then world record of highest wickets.
On Wednesday, Ishant Sharma joining Kapil as the second Indian pacer to play 100 Tests would add to the momentous occasion and Kohli scoring a hundred is just what the 55,000 odd spectators, who would be allowed in, might crave for.
The refurbished Sardar Patel Stadium looks colossal under lights but the first Test match in many years would mean that even the home team wouldn’t expect a lot of advantage.
It would prefer a square turner to go 2-1 up in a high-stakes game but whether it actually gets one remains to be seen.
As senior opener Rohit Sharma was clear in team’s choice of surface — a turner that helps Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel just like Joe Root would have opted for a green top at the Headingley or the Old Trafford.
There are a few more questions that would demand answers.
How would the twilight period be for the batsmen as James Anderson feels that the ball swings more in that phase?
Will the extra lacquer on the ‘SG Test Pink’ make it difficult for the AshwinAxar combo which wreaked havoc on the Chepauk snake pit?
And with a 2:30 pm start, how much will the dew have a bearing during the final session? The ball would be difficult to grip at that point for slow bowlers and the pitch, despite grass being shaved off, might ease out with ball skidding off the surface.