Calls to ban Facebook and Instagram in Australia

Major media organisations have accused Meta of “preparing to blackmail the government” over its refusal to renew about $70 million in commercial deals paying news companies for their content, despite being legally required to do so.

Meta’s decision meant media groups would likely have to cut jobs and even close mastheads as a result of the funding cuts, putting democracy and safety at risk, bosses of Australia’s biggest media outlets warned a parliamentary inquiry into social media on Friday.