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Comment by anonymousab | Hacker News Reader

They could have blocked Google and Facebook at any time. They didn't because they know the value is important if not existential.

What they want is for Facebook and Google to be forced to list them, but also forced to pay for the privilege. If they failed to craft or pay for legislation to that end, it was nothing more than a mistake.

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How could they have coordinated a full agreement to block FB/Google by all news associations without this law?

Most likely this deal benefits the biggest stakeholders only. Small players would cave into opening up to FB/Google.

> What they want is for Facebook and Google to be forced to list them, but also forced to pay for the privilege. If they failed to craft or pay for legislation to that end, it was nothing more than a mistake.

Such legislation is impossible given that Google/Facebook are not Australian companies. At the end of the day, if the legislation makes their involvement in those countries a net negative for their bottom lines, they can and will take their ball and go home.

I'm not really sure what you mean by impossible

How would you craft legislation that force Google and Facebook to do business with you under terms that you dictate? Ultimately how can you prevent said companies from pulling out of your country entirely if that's the better option for them?

Australia and Facebook did exactly what you described in your "impossible" hypothetical. I suspect the government's thinking was the Australia is too big a market for the victim companies to drop, i.e. they thought this was a deal they could not refuse.

No they didn't. Google isn't being forced to operate there; there's simply an additional cost of doing business being imposed. Clearly it's not in excess of income from Australia if they're continuing to choose to do business in the country.

I couldn't; I believe I originally thought you were suggesting these companies can't be expected to exert political will/make consequential decisions for some bizarre reason

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