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Australia health ministry freezes ads on Facebook ahead of vaccine rollout

WION Web Team
Sydney, AustraliaUpdated: Feb 23, 2021, 08:23 AM IST
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This illustration displays Facebook logo in front of Australia flag Photograph:(Reuters)

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Health Minister said that considering the timing and the importance of the campaign, the health department will still pay to promote the ad campaign, but not on Facebook

Following the fallout between the Australian government and social media platform, Facebook, the country's health department has decided to no longer advertise on the platform.

This freeze of an advertisement on the popular platform has come at a time when the country has just launched its first mass vaccination programme against the deadly coronavirus.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said that considering the timing and the importance of the campaign, the health department will still pay to promote the ad campaign, but just not on Facebook.

"All of our funds will be used," he said. "We will continue to post on that particular channel, we just won't be boosting."

This decision has come following the decision taken by the Australian government that no more amendments will be made in the proposed media laws, despite protests from Facebook.

WATCH|

"On my watch, until this issue is resolved, there will not be Facebook advertising," Hunt said. "There has been none commissioned or instituted since this dispute arose. Basically you have corporate titans acting as sovereign bullies and they won't get away with it."

Facebook has meanwhile blocked all news content from its platform as a protest against the proposed media law.

The health ministry has decided to spend US$20 million on spreading public information about the coronavirus vaccine. These funds will be used for advertising everywhere except for Facebook