Tech

SoundCloud announces overhaul of royalties model to 'fan-powered' system

Streaming company says it will start directing money from subscribers to the artists they actually listen toSoundCloud announced on Tuesday it would become the first streaming service to start directing subscribers’ fees only to the artists they listen to, a move welcomed by musicians campaigning for fairer pay.Current practice for streaming services including Spotify, Deezer and Apple is to pool royalty payments and dish them out based on which artists have the most global plays. Continue readi...
Tags: Apple, Music, Technology, UK News, World news, Australia news, US news, Culture, Music Streaming, Soundcloud, Spotify Deezer

Google Maps to show Melbourne commuters how crowded trains are

The integration of live passenger data is part of the Victorian government’s push to maintain social distancingCommuters in Melbourne will be able to see how crowded specific trains are on Google Maps as part of a Victorian government push to preserve social distancing on traditionally crowded services.The integration of live passenger data in the mapping service – to be launched on Friday – comes as Victorian offices last week increased to 50% capacity. It is the latest move to help stagger whe...
Tags: Health, Google, Australia news, Transport, Victoria, Melbourne, Coronavirus

What's driving Australia's row with Facebook and Google? – video explainer

Australia's attempt to force Facebook and Google to pay media companies for news content is being watched closely around the world. Britain and Canada are among the countries to indicate that they may pursue similar legislation. But what is it really all about? The Australian government says it is trying to level the playing field between digital giants, which take the lion's share of digital advertising revenue, and media companies that have seen their revenues dwindle despite producing much of...
Tags: Google, Facebook, Australia, Australia news, Newspapers, Canada, Britain, Australian politics, Australian media, Peter Lewis, Amanda Meade

Why is Australia trying to regulate Google and Facebook? – video explainer

Guardian Australia’s media correspondent Amanda Meade looks at why the Australian government has gone into battle with two of the world’s biggest tech companies Continue reading...
Tags: Google, Facebook, Australia, Australia news, Newspapers, Australian politics, Australian media, Amanda Meade

Facebook reverses Australia news ban after government makes media code amendments

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announces a compromise has been reached at the 11th hour as the legislation is debated in the SenateFacebook will restore Australian news pages in the next few days after the government agreed to more amendments to the media bargaining code that makes the social network and Google pay for news.On Thursday Facebook blocked all news on its platform in Australia, and inadvertently blocked information and government pages including health and emergency services. Continue re...
Tags: Google, Facebook, Technology, Media, Social Networking, Australia, Australia news, Australian politics, Australian media, Alphabet, Josh Frydenberg, SenateFacebook

UK's Ordnance Survey to launch mapping app in Australia

Project aims to help outdoor enthusiasts plan walks, cycles and hikes on and off beaten pathOrdnance Survey, the UK’s national mapping agency, is eyeing an international expansion as it launches its first app in Australia.In the UK, OS Maps was first released in 2016. The free app, aimed at walkers, cyclists, and campers, lets users plot detailed walking, running and cycling routes, and also follow ones laid down by others. Continue reading...
Tags: Travel, Apps, Maps, UK, Technology, Australia, UK News, World news, Australia news, Ordnance Survey

No 10 'concerned' about Facebook news shutdown in Australia

Oliver Dowden expected to meet US company, as No 10 says UK will ‘defend free speech and journalism’The UK government is “obviously concerned” at the repercussions of Facebook’s shutdown of large numbers of news and public information resources in Australia, Downing Street has said, confirming that the culture secretary will meet the US company this week.Oliver Dowden is “expecting to meet Facebook this week”, Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said, adding that the date had yet to be confirmed. Conti...
Tags: Facebook, Politics, UK, Technology, Media, Social Networking, Australia, US, UK News, Australia news, Digital Media, Boris Johnson, Oliver Dowden, Australia Downing Street

Why Facebook blocked news in Australia, and what comes next

On Thursday, Facebook blocked all news on its platform in Australia. This historic move came during escalating tensions over legislation that would force Facebook and Google to negotiate a fair payment with news organisations for using their content. Reporter Joshua Taylor explains the key arguments for and against the Media Bargaining Code, and explores what Facebook may be hoping to achieve, by blocking news. Continue reading...
Tags: Google, Facebook, Technology, Media, Social Networking, Australia, World news, Australia news, Australian media, Joshua Taylor

Charities condemn Facebook for ‘attack on democracy’ in Australia

Campaign groups say blocking access to reliable news sources leaves a void to be filled by misinformation and hate speechMembers of Facebook’s oversight board, which some have likened to an internal “supreme court”, have been called on to speak out or step down after the platform shut down swathes of media and key public information sites during a battle with the Australian government.The social media giant suspended pages – including those of government bodies and state health departments befor...
Tags: Google, Facebook, Technology, Media, Social Networking, Australia, Censorship, Social Media, Society, World news, Australia news, Newspapers & magazines, Digital Media, Charities, Voluntary sector, Scott Morrison

Facebook is gambling Australia can't live without it. Imagine if we prove them wrong | Lenore Taylor

With its ban on Australian news, Facebook has so far only succeeded in strengthening the government’s resolveSome commentators reckon Facebook has called Australia’s bluff. They may be about to discover that Australia isn’t bluffing.The platform’s own irresponsible and chaotic implementation of its Australian news “ban” appears to have rallied the country – citizens and politicians from across the aisles – and governments from around the world, to support the Australian government’s resolve. Con...
Tags: Facebook, Technology, Australia, Australia news, Australian politics, Australian media, Lenore Taylor

Facebook's Australia ban threatens to leave Pacific without key news source

Media experts fear that communities reliant on the site for information will suffer significant impactFacebook’s ban on Australian news will cut off a vital source of authoritative information for the Pacific region, government and industry analysts have warned.Across the Pacific, thousands have found their access to news blocked, or severely limited, after the tech giant wiped all news on the platform in Australia in response to proposed legislation that would require Facebook to pay for conten...
Tags: Facebook, Technology, Media, Social Networking, Australia, World news, Australia news, Asia Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Pacific, Samoa, Pacific Islands

Facebook under fire over move to 'bully democracy' in Australia

Politicians and news providers in UK and US condemn site after blocking access to media contentPoliticians, news providers and civil society groups in the UK and US have rounded on Facebook and said the company’s decision to block all media content on its platform in Australia should hasten moves to bring its powers under control.In a step condemned as “an attempt to bully a democracy” and “threatening to bring an entire country to its knees”, Facebook stopped its 18 million Australian users fro...
Tags: Google, Facebook, Politics, UK, Technology, Media, Social Networking, Australia, US, UK News, World news, Australia news, US news, US politics, Digital Media

Facebook is 'schoolyard bully' in Australia news row, says UK media boss

Trade group chairman says robust regulation is needed to rein in monopolistic tech firmsFacebook’s move to block all media content in Australia shows why countries need robust regulation to stop tech firms behaving like a “schoolyard bully”, the head of the UK’s news media trade group has said.Henry Faure Walker, the chair of the News Media Association, said Facebook’s ban during a pandemic was “a classic example of a monopoly power being the schoolyard bully, trying to protect its dominant posi...
Tags: Google, Facebook, UK, Technology, Media, Australia, Social Media, UK News, World news, Australia news, Digital Media, News Media Association, Henry Faure Walker

Even for a company that specialises in PR disasters, Facebook has excelled with its Australian blackout | Emily Bell

By turning off news sharing, Facebook has turned attention away from flawed government legislation and on to its own reckless opaque power • The day Australia woke up to a Facebook news blackoutWhen Facebook removed vast swathes of Australian media from its platform overnight on Wednesday the social media company intended to shock the system of Australian government and media cronyism and send a strong message to regulators everywhere.Instead, Facebook managed to turn attention away from a flawe...
Tags: Google, Facebook, Business, Technology, Media, Social Networking, Australia, Australia news, Digital Media, Australian politics, Australian media, Emily Bell, Instead Facebook

Facebook's botched Australia news ban hits health departments, charities and its own pages

Social media company’s ban on sharing news has also affected dozens of government, not-for-profit and community pagesThe Bureau of Meteorology, state health departments, the Western Australian opposition leader, charities and Facebook itself are among those to have been hit by Facebook’s ban on news in Australia. On Thursday morning Facebook began preventing Australian news sites from posting, while also stopping Australian users from sharing or viewing content from any news outlets, both Austra...
Tags: Health, Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, Technology, Media, Social Networking, Australia, Social Media, Australia news, Digital Media, Australian politics, Australian media, Bureau of Meteorology

Australia politics live: Facebook blames government's media code for ban on even non-news pages

Social media company says it is blocking pages over proposed media bargaining code but did not intend to ban government pages. Follow liveFacebook blocks Australian users and publishers from viewing or sharing newsAustralia’s Covid vaccine rollout: how will it happen and when can you get it?Melbourne hotspots; Victoria rules and restrictionsFollow our global coronavirus live blog 1.18am GMT Foodbank has also been caught up in the banThis is UNACCEPTABLE. Demand for food relief has never been...
Tags: Google, Facebook, Australia, Australia news, Victoria, Scott Morrison, Robert Thomson, News Corp, Australasia, Miller, Foodbank, THOMSON, Rupert, Michael Miller, Lachlan Murdoch, Coronavirus

Facebook blocks health departments, charities and its own pages in botched Australia news ban

Social media company’s ban on sharing news has also affected dozens of government, not-for-profit and community pagesThe Bureau of Meteorology, state health departments, the Western Australian opposition leader, charities and Facebook itself are among those to have been blocked on Facebook in Australia as a result of the company’s wide-ranging ban on sharing or viewing news. On Thursday morning Facebook began preventing Australian news sites from posting, while also stopping Australian users fro...
Tags: Health, Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, Technology, Media, Social Networking, Australia, Social Media, Australia news, Digital Media, Australian politics, Australian media, Bureau of Meteorology

Australian politics live: Facebook blocks news across the country; Victoria comes out of lockdown

Social media giant blames proposed media bargaining code for decision; some restrictions remain in place in Victoria as businesses reopen. Follow all the developments liveFacebook blocks Australian users and publishers from viewing or sharing newsFollow our global coronavirus live blog 9.29pm GMT Nine Entertainment, publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age has warned of the misinformation that will spread now that news has been banned on Facebook.Nine has signed a $30m deal with Go...
Tags: Google, Facebook, Australia news, Victoria, Scott Morrison, Nine Entertainment, Sydney Morning Herald, Coronavirus, Facebook Nine

Morning mail: Facebook blocks news in Australia, Great Barrier Reef gets a D, Rush Limbaugh dies

Thursday: Users won’t be able to view or share news as the tech giant ramps up opposition to proposed media bargaining code. Plus: a 3,600-year-old cold case solvedMorning, all. Inconsistency in the federal government’s account of the Brittany Higgins case continues to invite scrutiny this Thursday and Christopher Knaus takes on 5G conspiracists in his piece today for our Web of Lies series. But you won’t see these stories – or any other news in your Facebook feed this morning.Facebook has annou...
Tags: Google, Facebook, World news, Australia news, Canberra, Limbaugh, Christopher Knaus, Brittany Higgins, Australia Great Barrier Reef, News Showcase News Corp

News Corp agrees deal with Google over payments for journalism

News Corp will receive ‘significant payments’ to feature news outlets in Google’s News ShowcaseGoogle and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp have signed a multi-year partnership that will lead to the search engine paying for journalism from news sites around the world, including the Wall Street Journal, the Times and the Australian.The deal, which involves News Corp receiving “significant payments” to feature the company’s news outlets in Google’s News Showcase product, will last for three years, and co...
Tags: Google, Business, Technology, UK News, World news, Australia news, Newspapers, US news, Media business, Rupert Murdoch, News Corporation, Robert Thomson, News Corp, Wall Street Journal The Times

Australia politics live: Victoria set to end Covid lockdown; Turnbull says it's 'incredible' PM's office wasn't told about rape allegation

Premier expected to announce easing of restrictions as survey reveals levels of vaccine hesitancy in Australia – all the news as it happensWarnings on privately run Australian quarantine centresMore than a quarter of Australians unsure about Covid vaccineMelbourne hotspots, Victoria lockdown rulesFollow our global coronavirus live blog 10.34pm GMT Anthony Albanese has been doing a lot of media this morning - he attended a rally in support of Tafe, held a doorstop and appeared on Sky all befo...
Tags: Health, Google, Australia, Australia news, Australian politics, Sydney, Victoria, Daniel Andrews, Anthony Albanese, ASX, Turnbull, Guardian Australia Continue, Nine Entertainment, Coronavirus, Brittany Higgins

Google and Facebook: the landmark Australian law that will make them pay for news content

Despite protestations from both companies, the Australian parliament is set to pass legislation it says is needed to boost public interest journalismThe Australian parliament is poised to pass a landmark media law that would make Google and Facebook pay news publishers for displaying their content.The Australian law is separate to a deal Facebook made to pay mainstream UK news outlets millions of pounds a year to license their articles, but has a similar motivation. Continue reading...
Tags: Google, Facebook, UK, Technology, Media, Social Networking, World news, Australia news, Australian media, Scott Morrison, Media business, News Corporation, Alphabet, Josh Frydenberg, Guardian Australia, Nine Entertainment

Australian politics live: Craig Kelly condemned for ‘disseminating misinformation’ as NSW and Victoria report no new Covid cases

Doctors’ group lashes out at Liberal MP, saying ‘all public figures’ should ‘act responsibly’; Morrison government to face pressure on jobkeeper and jobseeker. Follow all the latest news and updates, live • Perth and WA’s Covid restrictions explained • Perth and regional WA Covid hotspot locations; NSW hotspots • Follow the global coronavirus liveblog 12.21am GMT The chats are slowly happening The Alliance is fundamental to the security & prosperity of our region. NSA @jakejsullivan & I dis...
Tags: Health, Google, Business, Microsoft, Nsa, Australia news, Australian politics, New South Wales, Welfare, Myanmar, Victoria, Labor party, Australian Greens, Liberal party, Industrial relations, Scott Morrison

Morning mail: Biden declares ‘climate day’, Google’s news experiment, The Dry ends box office drought

Thursday: Joe Biden signs a raft of climate-related executive orders to unwind Trump-era changes. Plus: is the AFLW still being undervalued? Good morning, here are the lead stories this Thursday – not that you can count on them showing up in a Google search. The federal government faces fresh conflict-of-interest questions, Anthony Albanese stares down factional ructions, and Joe Biden continues to dismantle the Trumpian legacy.A major military technology supplier that was awarded $98m worth of ...
Tags: Google, World news, Australia news, Joe Biden, US news, Australian politics, Partners, Biden, Christopher Pyne, Anthony Albanese, Trump, Guardian Australia, Pyne, Elbit, Sturt, Adam Howard

Important stories hidden in Google's 'experiment' blocking Australian news sites

The search giant’s experiments see sources of questionable quality being promoted over mainstream websites in some casesGoogle’s “experiment” in Australia to remove major news sites from search results is hiding important news stories from hundreds of thousands of Australians.In some cases filtering out mainstream news publications from search results is also resulting in lower-quality publications being promoted, including a news website known for spreading misinformation and conspiracy theorie...
Tags: Google, Australia, Australia news, Australian politics, Australian media, Alphabet

'Inevitable' Google and Facebook will pay for Australian news, treasurer says

Josh Frydenberg says tech companies’ threats to pull services out of Australia did them a ‘big disservice’Josh Frydenberg has warned the internet giants it is “inevitable” they will pay for news content and their threats to shut down core functions in Australia do them a “big disservice”.At a doorstop on Sunday, the treasurer said the Morrison’s government intended to become a “world leader” in regulating social media and search companies, who he accused of shifting the goalposts in their opposi...
Tags: Google, Facebook, Technology, Social Networking, Australia, Australia news, Australian media, Morrison, Josh Frydenberg, Inevitable Google

Google threatens to leave Australia – but its poker face is slipping

Analysis: tech firm’s refusal to pay news publishers comes as it agrees to do exactly that in FranceThe biggest companies in technology love an ultimatum but rarely do they spell out their threats. This week, however, Google has done exactly that, telling an Australian parliamentary hearing that a proposed law forcing the company to pay news publishers for the right to link to their content “would give us no real choice but to stop making Google Search available in Australia”.The threat, from th...
Tags: Google, Technology, Media, Australia, France, Social Media, World news, Australia news, Digital Media, Australian politics, Australian media, Alphabet, Mel Silva

Google threatens to shut down search in Australia if digital news code goes ahead

As Google and Facebook face Senate committee, poll finds three in five Australians agree social media companies should prioritise news in feedsGoogle has threatened to remove its search engine from Australia if a code forcing the company to negotiate payments to news media companies goes ahead, saying the proposal sets a “dangerous precedent”.Last week it was revealed Google was testing removing news sites, including Guardian Australia, from search results for about 1% of its Australian users as...
Tags: Google, Facebook, Australia, Senate, Social Media, Australia news, Digital Media

Coronavirus Australia live: Australian Open tennis player tests positive; Victoria opens border to most of Sydney as NSW records no local cases

Victoria premier Daniel Andrews says people in most of Sydney can apply for a permit to travel to the state while 10 LGAs still remain in red zones. Follow latest updates liveAustralian Open disarray; Vic borders open; NSW records no local cases NSW hotspots; Queensland hotspots; Victoria hotspotsFollow the global coronavirus liveblog 2.04am GMT Here’s a little more Australian Open content, as that’s probably the issue that is simmering along the most today. Firstly, Victorian opposition lea...
Tags: Health, Google, Business, Australia, Australia news, Infectious Diseases, Queensland, New South Wales, Sydney, Victoria, Melbourne, Tasmania, Australian Open, Smith, South Australia, Daniel Andrews

Australian man arrested in Germany over 'world's largest' darknet marketplace

Police arrest 34-year-old suspected of operating site selling drugs, credit card data and malwareA German-led police sting has taken down the “world’s largest” darknet marketplace, whose Australian alleged operator used it to facilitate the sale of drugs, stolen credit card data and malware, prosecutors said Tuesday.At the time of its closure, DarkMarket had nearly 500,000 users and more than 2,400 vendors worldwide, as the coronavirus pandemic leads much of the street trade in narcotics to go o...
Tags: Europe, Technology, Germany, World news, Australia news, Cybercrime, Darknet