Facebooks Australian News Ban Will Lead to Even More Misinformation
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What would happen if you woke up tomorrow and couldn\\u2019t share any news articles on Facebook? How would that impact the communities that you manage or the way you share information with family and friends? What if this ban included\\xa0 information provided by emergency services agencies for things like natural disasters, wildfires, and domestic violence? This situation is not a hypothetical one for Australian users of Facebook. Just last week, after Facebook failed to make an agreement to pay Australian news organizations for linking to their content, the company issued a ban that prevents sharing Australian or international news content on the platform.
In this episode, Patrick talks to\\xa0Dr. Jennifer Beckett, a lecturer in media and communications at the University of Melbourne, about the immediate ramifications that this has had and what it might mean for communities on Facebook moving forward.
Dr. Beckett\\u2019s work also has a focus in the mental health of digital workers, given the prevalence of moderation-related work, no matter what the job title. As our field expands, Dr. Beckett points to the need for visibility and protection for the people who do this work.
Dr. Beckett and Patrick discuss:
- The well-being of content moderators and what some organizations are doing to protect their well-being
- The legal environment for community builders in Australia
- The need for better communication about the \\u201ctoxicity\\u201d of communities
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If you enjoy our show, please know that it\\u2019s only possible with the generous support of our sponsor:\\xa0Vanilla, a one-stop shop for online community.
Big Quotes
Facebook has issued a broad ban of news and essential information for its Australian users (4:53):\\xa0\\u201cFacebook has used a really broad definition of what news is. They\\u2019ve blocked our Bureau of Meteorology, several emergency services, [and] Queensland Fire & Safety. \\u2026 That\\u2019s problematic because there\\u2019s actually floods happening in Queensland at the moment. They\\u2019re using the platform to get really vital and immediate emergency information out. The domestic violence government support pages, they\\u2019ve all gone down. It\\u2019s really, really problematic.\\u201d \\u2013@JenniferBeckett
How Facebook\\u2019s ban of news in Australia may encourage misinformation and disinformation (6:42):\\xa0\\u201c[This ban is] going to allow for a lot of non-news organizations to spread a lot of disinformation and misinformation because there\\u2019ll be nothing to curb that misinformation or disinformation in a community. If I\\u2019m running a community and somebody starts spouting QAnon conspiracy theories in my group, I\\u2019ve actually got no ability to now post fact-based, fact-checked news articles that debunk those conspiracy theories.\\u201d \\u2013@JenniferBeckett
Healthy communities can still be toxic to others (11:38):\\xa0\\u201cThe thing that makes [groups like the Proud Boys] so dangerous is, internally, they\\u2019re super healthy. They\\u2019re not toxic to their own members. They\\u2019re toxic to everyone else.\\u201d \\u2013@JenniferBeckett
Moderation isn\\u2019t about perfection (24:23):\\xa0\\u201cModeration is an effort that requires a lot of care, thought, and time. Even when you do your best, you\\u2019re not perfection.\\u201d \\u2013@patrickokeefe
When your job responsibilities undermine your personal identity (42:05):\\xa0\\u201cHave you ever had to moderate content [or leave up content] that goes against your sense of self-identity and safety? I\\u2019m thinking about people of color and First Nations people, anybody in a minority group who\\u2019s doing this job, who suddenly has to remain professional while people are actually questioning their right to exist in many cases. Living in this constant state of cognitive dissonance can actually have physical ramifications, as well.\\u201d \\u2013@JenniferBeckett
About Dr. Jennifer Beckett
Dr. Jennifer Beckett\\xa0is a\\xa0lecturer in Media and Communications at the University of Melbourne, Australia. She researches online governance and the mental health of digital workers and teaches a Masters level subject in community management. Before heading back to academia, she worked as an online and social media producer for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Related Links
- Sponsor:\\xa0Vanilla, a one-stop-shop for online community
- Dr. Jennifer Beckett on Twitter
- Dr. Beckett\\u2019s University of Melbourne profile
- The Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- Facebook will block Australian users and publishers from sharing news links in response to new bill\\xa0(via\\xa0The Verge)
- The Betoota Advocate, a satirical site that was blocked as part of Facebook\\u2019s ban on news
- Venessa Paech\\xa0on\\xa0Community Signal
- Australian Community Managers
- Community Signal Episode About Section 230
- A Community Management Perspective on the Violentacrez/Reddit Troll Story, an article about Reddit\\u2019s past, by Patrick
- Australia\\u2019s Criminal Code Amendment (Sharing of Abhorrent Violent Material) Act
- Sarah Roberts, UCLA
- Arlie Russell Hochschild
- Quiip launches industry-first resilience training in response to overwork and burnout
- Dr. Beckett acknowledges that her research is done on the lands of the\\xa0Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation
Transcript
Your Thoughts
If you have any thoughts on this episode that you\\u2019d like to share, please leave me a comment,\\xa0send me an email\\xa0or a\\xa0tweet. If you enjoy the show, we would be so grateful if you spread the word and supported\\xa0Community Signal on Patreon.
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