Facebook objected to Australia's privacy landscape, internal documents reveal

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    https://www.businessinsider.com.au/facebook-lobbied-against-...

    > Facebook has been trying hard to calm the world’s nerves about privacy concerns, with founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg even penning a wordy statement outlining his “privacy-focused vision”.

    > But a report published by the ABC has thrown cold water over the social giant’s public relations campaign on privacy, alleging that Facebook officials in Australia took steps to lobby against plans of the then-Labor federal government to expand privacy protections.

    > The report brings to light leaked internal emails published on GitHub, a Microsoft-owned software development platform, which suggest that in 2012 local Facebook employees met with former US Ambassador to Australian Jeffrey Bleich to raise concerns with Australia’s approach to privacy regulation.

    > The documents, which are marked “highly confidential” and have been seen by Business Insider Australia, also suggest Bleich was critical of the Australian government and offered to amplify Facebook’s concerns with relevant policymakers.