Meta says it may block news from Facebook in Australia

Facebook owner Meta opens new tab is considering blocking news content from the platform in Australia if the government makes it pay licensing fees, a company representative told a parliamentary hearing on Friday.

Meta’s regional policy director Mia Garlick told lawmakers “all options are on the table” when asked if the company would block Australians from sharing news content to avoid paying fees.

“There’s a large number of channels that people can get news content from,” Garlick told the inquiry.