Facebook asks Australia to let it make content deals with news outlets before being hit with media code

Social media giant wants a six-month grace period for proposed code it describes as complex, unpredictable and unworkable'

Facebook has asked the Australian government to consider giving digital platforms a six-month grace period to make deals with news outlets to pay for content before hitting companies with the big stick" of the news media bargaining code.

Ahead of Facebook's appearance on Friday before a Senate committee examining the federal government's news media and digital platforms mandatory bargaining code bill, the social media giant told the committee the code remained complex, unpredictable and unworkable".