Essential services ripped from Facebook platform
The nation’s leading health authorities have condemned Facebook for blocking genuine COVID-19 advice days before the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine.
The nation’s leading health authorities have condemned Facebook for blocking genuine COVID-19 advice days before the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine, with Health Minister Greg Hunt accusing the platform of an “assault on the nation.”
The non-media channels wrapped up in Facebook’s onslaught against Australian news outlets also included other essential services and helplines including emergency fire departments, cancer charities and domestic violence assistance providers.
Official state government health channels and major hospital pages were frozen on Thursday, along with medical charities including the Kids Cancer Project, Bowel Cancer Australia and Dementia Australia.
Federal Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy said he was concerned about “legitimate” health channels being restricted days before the beginning of the vaccine rollout.
“We are concerned about anything that blocks legitimate sites of information. I understand Facebook has unblocked some of those sites they inadvertently blocked such as some health sites,” he said in Canberra.
“But we encourage the population to go to trusted sites. Health.gov.au is the most important site for you to get COVID-19 vaccine information.”
Facebook also wiped the pages of essential services for victims of domestic violence, such as DV Connect, 1800Respect, and foundations set up by families of victims such as Allison Baden-Clay and Hannah Clarke.
RizeUp Australia, a charity that furnishes homes free for domestic violence survivors, was one of many community groups swept up in Facebook’s mass purge of news publishers.
“On a weekly basis, we have seen 50 and 80 people who reach out to us on Facebook,” RizeUp founder Nicolle Edwards said.
“We have a reach of about 600,000 people per month so we pop up in newsfeeds all the time.”
On a normal day, Ms Edwards is able to post a notice on Facebook to RizeUp Australia’s 700 volunteers and 600,000 social media supporters for help. The post would be simple, but effective: “Hi Rizers. Pregnant mum and three kids sleeping on a rug in an empty house in Brisbane.” She would then post her furniture wishlist on Facebook.
On Thursday, that service was ripped away from RizeUp.
“Facebook is our communication tool,” Ms Edwards said. “We are the next step for women who are coming out of a refuge. A woman can arrive with nothing and within 30 minutes of us posting we’ll get a response.”
Samantha Payne, the chief executive of Pink Elephants Support Network, said Facebook’s decision to switch off the group’s page meant women who were experiencing early pregnancy loss would be unable to find support in “their hour of need’’.
“We don’t know who is trying to reach us because our page is blocked,” Ms Payne said.
“It was a place where you could find other mums who have also experienced the loss of a baby. They’ve taken that away without any notice and we can’t afford to just go and set up our own social media site.”
Some businesses and major retailers including electronics giant Harvey Norman and the nation’s most popular online booksellers Booktopia also faced Facebook restrictions on Thursday.
A Booktopia spokesman said the ban would hurt Australian writers and advertising for businesses across the nation.
“We’re asking Facebook to recognise that their action has had severe implications for communities that they haven’t considered, and to reinstate page content as swiftly as possible,” the spokesman said.
Mr Hunt in parliament accused Facebook of an “assault on the nation” over its freezing of official medical feeds and said the social media giant should put people over profit.
“A major global corporation has taken a decision which is denying Australians access to fundamental health, mental health and vaccination information,” Mr Hunt said.
“Facebook has taken steps, which are unprecedented and reprehensible.
“Queensland Health, ACT Health, SA Health, NSW Health have all been affected.
“Dementia Australia has been affected … Bowel Cancer Australia and the Kids Cancer Project have been blocked.
“We say to Facebook, stop this now and perhaps it is time to put people over profit.”
Additional reporting: Rhiannon Down
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