“When we were unable to do so as intended due to a technical error, we apologized and worked to correct it.”
However, US-based organization Whistleblower Aid alleged it was actually a Meta ploy in filings with the US Department of Justice and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, first reported in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
The organization said in a statement that Facebook’s five-day blackout of news content providers had deliberately “overblocked” local governments, health services and other sites that were providing support for vulnerable people.
The intention was to force the government to weaken the proposed law, the group said.
“This wasn’t just an example of a corporate actor behaving recklessly,” said Whistleblower Aid chief Libby Liu.
“Facebook intentionally put lives at risk to protect its bottom line.”
Shortly after the blackout, Australia passed a law forcing Facebook to negotiate with news content providers, but politicians watered down some of the most onerous proposals.
