Australia sues Facebook over Cambridge Analytica

Re:Australia sues Facebook over Cambridge Analytica by raz32dust on Monday March 09, 2020 @02:53PM (#22528473)

Why not? Isn't Australia free to not allow Facebook to operate in their country if they don't pay a fine? And if the US prevents them from doing so by retaliation or sanctions, that would actually be closer to warfare.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Australia sues Facebook over Cambridge Analytica by chillacy on Monday March 09, 2020 @02:58PM (#22528515)

The US almost certainly would, at least it did most recently when France wanted to put a digital tax: https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/23/21078574/france-us-digita...

A consumption tax is a pretty good way to tax foreign companies though imo, as long as your domestic market is desirable.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Australia sues Facebook over Cambridge Analytica by bilbo0s on Monday March 09, 2020 @03:45PM (#22529000)

>The US almost certainly would

What happened with China?

I know FB isn't really operating in China. (At least no one I knew in Ningbo had it?) So did we sanction China for that or how did that all work? Because, and I don't know if we did or didn't, but if we didn't sanction China, why sanction Australia? Was that situation different somehow? (Other than just "China's richer").

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Australia sues Facebook over Cambridge Analytica by lapnitnelav on Monday March 09, 2020 @03:01PM (#22528547)

If enough countries start doing that, maybe the balance of power might be different. Especially in the West.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Australia sues Facebook over Cambridge Analytica by luckylion on Monday March 09, 2020 @02:58PM (#22528516)

> And if the US prevents them from doing so by retaliation or sanctions, that would actually be closer to warfare.

So? It's about power, the US has it, Australia doesn't.

Australia can fine them a hefty sum, but nothing that looks like an existential threat to the company.

[ Parent | on HN ]