Facebook a story that needs another chapter

I loathe the authoritarian way in which the big tech oligarchs have been conducting themselves. However, most of those who are condemning Facebook’s decision to ban publishers and users from sharing or viewing any news articles are perfectly OK with Twitter banning Donald Trump and anybody else who is not of the “correct” ideological persuasion.

The upside of what Facebook has done is that it may drive home to a wider audience just how brazen these tech companies have become and how they have no compunction in deploying their massive market power and their algorithms if you get on their wrong side or upset their business model. There needs to be co-ordinated action by governments around the world to address this abuse and misuse of market power and to stop the business model by which these companies derive untold wealth by monetising the private information of their users while paying nothing for it, at the same time acting as a censor of viewpoints they deem in their absolute discretion to be unacceptable.

Richard Shankland, Pymble, NSW

Let’s hope the Facebook ban stays forever. Our elections would return to civility without the Facebook lies and distortions, and maybe COVID-19 decisions might be made on necessity, not political expediency.

Tony Hennessy, Casino, NSW

Annastacia Palaszczuk’s consternation that Facebook has suspended Queensland Health’s page, as it suspended Craig Kelly’s, shows how bloody-minded big tech billionaires truly are, But why does she expect a private entertainment conglomerate to provide free media services for a government department? It is reckless and irresponsible of Palaszczuk to encourage consumers and users to interpret social media as a reliable or honest news source.

Greg Jones, Kogarah, NSW

Jacqui Lambie’s call for the government to bow before Facebook is a disgrace. There are millions of Australians who are not on Facebook and have never been on Facebook, and guess what, life is just fine. Big tech companies have demonstrated their inability to not abuse the power they hold. Hopefully the US government will wake up to the fact three or four individuals can now shape the politics of the world, and it is time to break these companies up. We elect governments, not Mark Zuckerberg

Ross Dillon, Maleny, Qld

Cold on camps

Because of government incompetence in quarantine and public hysteria, airport-owning private entrepreneurs see an opportunity. Don’t we need to take a cold shower. Dan Andrews has a statewide lockdown because of three infections. Overseas the UK will lift lockdown when it’s down to 1000 infections. Cold shower No 1. Moguls plan to build huge camps at public expense to house returning Australians and perhaps others. It will need to be “others”. Cold shower No 2. There are only 30,000 expats still out there in the cold world. That's at most a matter of a couple of months at the current rate of arrivals to clear the lot. Unless we’re back into mass travel we won’t need those camps.

Paul Everingham, Hamilton, Qld

Lost sheep

Thank you for your thoughtful editorial, (“Shifting sands in school choices”, 18/2) With rare exceptions, Catholic schools are failing in their primary mission, to train disciples; that is, young people with a knowledge of and love for the Catholic faith. We have now had a generation or two of teachers in Catholic schools who are not able to impart knowledge of the faith because they don’t have it themselves. The schools must welcome the parish priests back as a corrective.

Frank Pulsford, Aspley, Qld

Nuclear nous

At last a light at the end of the tunnel (“MPs in drive for nuclear energy”, 18/02). Pity that we have lost years in which the antiquated laws against nuclear activity could have been repealed and much of the necessary lead time used constructively. If the national parliament supports the move and can drag the states along with it, we could just get new baseload generation in operation before the lights go out. There will no doubt be opposition to the project, but not from those who have a real interest in the long-term prosperity of Australia.

Derek Fern, Box Hill, Vic

Just our Ash

Ash Barty is our “nicest” sporting personality. Unless she develops the burning desire (almost all her opponents have) to mercilessly grind them into the dust she’ll sometimes lose matches she should, on paper, win.

Sportspeople watching her loss could easily see the moment when, out of nowhere, everything went to snuff. But what’s clear is her fans don’t want a bar of a “different” Ash: they love her just the way she is.

Rosemary O’Brien, Ashfield, NSW