Facebook made a statement following the release of the ACCC's final report into digital platforms and their market powere.
Will Easton, Managing Director, Facebook Australia and New Zealand, says Facebook has worked with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission over the past year and a half.
His statement:
"There is no denying we are living through one of the most transformational periods of our time, where technology has given people and businesses unprecedented levels of opportunity and innovation. However with that unprecedented opportunity we are also aware of the increased responsibility we have to ensure our services are designed to empower and protect our users. We’re not shying away from that responsibility.
"Over the past 18 months, we’ve worked with the ACCC as they've reviewed the future of sustainable journalism and digital advertising in Australia. We recognise it is important to get the rules for digital news distribution right, as they could impact the 16 million Australians who use our services to connect, share, and build community, as well as the hundreds of thousands of small businesses that use our free tools to grow, thrive, and create jobs.
"As our CEO, Mark Zuckerberg shared earlier this year, we support a clear framework of rules for the internet that is effective, evidence-based, protects consumer interests and is consistent across the industry.
"We share the ACCC's commitment to ensure Australians have meaningful controls and transparency to help them make informed choices when sharing on online services, and that data protection expands well beyond digital platforms. That’s why we have made significant changes, including investing heavily in safety and security, making our privacy tools easier to find, our policies clearer and significantly restricting the access developers have to information. We’re also leading the industry conversation around data portability and established theData Transfer Project so people can make their own choices about how they wish to transfer their information into and out of online services.
"Most recently, we committed to a fundamental shift in the way we operate by placing additional responsibility for privacy on the people building our products, and creating new oversight controls to ensure privacy is at the core of everything we do.
"The sustainability of Australia’s news ecosystem is also core to our mission of building empowered communities. We want quality journalism on our platform. That’s why we’ve invested millions of dollars in Australia’s news industry and continue to work with local publishers to co-develop ways for them to reach new audiences and monetise content.
"We take our responsibilities seriously and we want to engage constructively on these challenges with a view to better inform a clear, consistent and effective framework.
"That’s why we are fully committed to engaging in the consultation process around this report, while continuing to deliver the benefits of technology to the millions of Australians who use our services. We are optimistic about the future and Facebook’s continued contribution to Australian consumers, business and the broader community."
The ACCC made 23 recommendations in its final report of its Digital Platforms Inquiry into Google and Facebook.
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