Facebook over-enforced Australia news ban, admits Nick Clegg

Communications chief defends reversed ban, saying it is unfair to force tech firms to pay for news content

Facebook erred on the side of over-enforcement" in removing links to hundreds of non-media organisations in Australia, Nick Clegg has admitted, in a blogpost defending the social media company's short-lived news ban there.

The former UK deputy prime minister, now Facebook's vice-president of global affairs and communications, said the tech firm had been forced into [the] position" of blocking content designated as news after the Australian government refused to back down over plans to require it to negotiate with news publishers for payment for content.