Summary

Facebook has blocked all news content in Australia, affecting both news and non-news pages, due to a dispute with the Australian government over payment for news, leading to a surge in the #DeleteFacebook movement and prompting discussions about the platform's relevance and the potential rise of decentralized social media platforms.

Abstract

In a bold move, Facebook has restricted access to news content in Australia, following a disagreement with the government regarding compensation for news shared on the platform. This action has inadvertently silenced non-news entities, such as the Hobart Women's Shelter, and has sparked a resurgence of the #DeleteFacebook movement. The author, a content creator, expresses frustration with Facebook's cluttered interface, ad-driven priorities, and declining content quality, suggesting that these factors, along with the recent content ban, signal the platform's growing irrelevance. The article also speculates on the future of social media, with decentralized apps (dApps) like Bitcoin and Ethereum gaining traction as alternatives that prioritize user ownership and democracy. The author calls for Facebook to reconsider its stance and choose humanity over its business model, while acknowledging the platform's origins as a tool for connection and community.

Opinions

The author believes that Facebook's decision to block news in Australia is evidence of the platform's misguided priorities and is symptomatic of broader issues with social media.
There is a perception that Facebook's user experience is compromised by its focus on advertising revenue, which overshadows the platform's original purpose of connecting people.
The author suggests that Facebook's relevance is waning, as its business model, driven by ads and shareholder interests, no longer aligns with user needs.
The article posits that the future of social media may lie in decentralized platforms that empower users and ensure democratic control over content and data.
There is a sense of disappointment in how Mark Zuckerberg has steered Facebook, with the author viewing Zuckerberg as a "grown teenager" who has lost his way in the pursuit of staying relevant.
The author predicts that Facebook's actions in Australia could lead to a global backlash, with users around the world potentially abandoning the platform.
Despite the criticisms, the author does not harbor hatred towards Facebook, acknowledging it as a human experiment that has failed, rather than attributing malicious intent to its leadership.
The author expresses hope that Facebook will recognize the error of its ways and pivot towards a more user-centric model, possibly inspired by the self-awareness and leadership demonstrated by Jack Dorsey of Twitter.

Facebook Doesn’t Work In Australia Anymore — Zucks Blocked All News

The #DeleteZuckerberg movement is getting stronger.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Creative Commons

I logged into Facebook today to view the latest videos from my favorite channel, Goalcast. I got a message that said “no posts.” Goalcast is a platform for inspirational content with 11,000,000 followers. Something felt wrong.

Then I went to Twitter and #DeleteFacebook was trending. Facebook clashed with the Australian Government over paying for news content. Google struck a deal to pay for news. Mark Zuckerberg decided to take things into his own hands and block all news.

Let that sink in for a second. Mark Zuckerberg blocked all news in Australia.

Here’s what’s even crazier: Facebook blocked non-news content too.

Goalcast is an example of that. Their content isn’t news-related but it’s now blocked and deemed to be news in Australia. Hobart Women’s Shelter, which provides crisis accommodation and help for women who are going through homelessness or have experienced domestic violence, has been silenced too.

Screenshot taken by author from Twitter.

In 2021 this is all evidence of what is wrong with social media. Social media is losing the plot. As a content creator, I rely on social media to research ideas and distribute my work. Now that Facebook has chosen content war, people like me need to adapt or face ruin.

Facebook is becoming irrelevant.

I don’t post on Facebook anymore. Unless I pay money for ads my content is seen by hardly anyone. The user interface is cluttered. The homepage is littered with red notifications telling me what to pay attention to.

Sometimes I go to Facebook to research a topic and within seconds I forget why I even opened the app. That’s what red notifications can do. Notifications can make you forget the present so they can drag you into a business’s business model. In the case of Facebook, ads are the business model.

Having a business model drive a user experience no longer works. Users come to an app to have their needs met, not the needs of a business. The prioritization of ads is one reason Facebook will become extinct.

The quality of content on Facebook is going downhill too. I see ads instead of family (the reason I still have Facebook).

Facebook has blocked news. What if users block Facebook?

That’s the challenge with the internet. Users have all the power and they can simply use social media to spread the message to delete Facebook.

Honest business always wins in the end. Facebook is playing game of thrones with its users.

They think Australia is just a dot on the global map, full of a bunch of laidback Aussies sleeping in tents out in the middle of a desert full of kangaroos and ‘you beaut’ snakes. Aussies like me are laidback, but we’re not stupid. The world listens to Aussies. The world is watching what Facebook is doing to Australia. The question is, will the world agree with Facebook or delete Facebook? My guess is people around the world will delete Facebook.

I don’t hate Facebook, though.

Facebook is only human. Facebook is a human experiment. And Facebook failed as an experiment.

Having humans have so much power to control what people see during large parts of their lives is destined for accidental abuse. I don’t believe Mark Zuckerberg was born evil. I don’t think he’s trying to take over the world. I think he’s just a grown teenager who lost his way and doesn’t know how to stay relevant. His key strategy going forward will be to acquire social media apps that compete with Facebook, the way he did with Instagram and WhatsApp.

Facebook started out as a platform to connect people. Facebook used to be a place to add friends to your life and make the world less lonely. Over time the drive to make shareholders wealthy got in the way. “Marketers ruin everything” as social media expert Gary Vaynerchuk says.

Marketers ruined Facebook with their ads that stole Zuckerberg’s attention.

What will replace Facebook?

dApps (decentralized apps) are coming fast. It’s why Bitcoin and Ethereum are outperforming every other asset in the world. It’s not a craze or a bubble as some have predicted. It’s the building of a future where ownership is transformed. Where ownership isn’t controlled by accidental billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg. Where the community acts as a democracy. Where users own their data.

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, has seen the light too. That’s why he is pivoting his company’s resources towards a decentralized future. (Now that’s self-awareness and leadership.)