Facebook says local laws compelled it to block content in Australia

• Facebook says it has been forced to block content in Australia because of local laws
• Says country's laws were unclear about the guidance and definition of news content
• Says action is focused on restricting publishers, people in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content on the platform

LONDON:  Facebook Inc on Thursday said that it was compelled to block content in Australia because local laws were unclear about the guidance and definition of news content. 

“The actions we’re taking are focused on restricting publishers and people in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content,” a company spokesman said.

“As the law does not provide clear guidance on the definition of news content, we have taken a broad definition in order to respect the law as drafted. However, we will reverse any Pages that are inadvertently impacted,” the spokesman said.

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