Australians are being blocked from accessing news in their Facebook feeds, in a dramatic escalation of the social media giant’s stand-off with the federal government.Facebook started restricting users from viewing or sharing Australian news on Wednesday, because of a proposed law in the country that would require the social network to pay news publishers for content.

Called the News Media Bargaining Code, the legislation also affects Google, which surfaces news articles in search results. News outlets have struggled to compete with tech firms for advertising dollars and say they should be compensated for articles shown on online platforms such as Facebook and Google. Facebook’s decision also underscores the tensions between the social media giant and governments that are trying to regulate the tech industry. Facebook’s move comes after Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. signed a landmark deal with Google so the media outlet gets paid for news content.

Facebook said Australian users will be blocked from sharing Australian or international news content on the social network. International publishers will be able to post news content, but links and posts can’t be shared by an Australian audience. Australian publishers aren’t allowed to share or post content on Facebook Pages.

The new restrictions are already rolling out. Some users who visit an Australian news outlet’s Facebook Page no longer see any articles displayed. Australian users who try to share news are seeing a notice saying that in response to Australian government legislation, the social network is restricting posting and sharing news.

Facebook didn’t specify how it’s defining a news publisher, but government organizations and other sites on the platform were also affected by the restrictions. Sally McManus, secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, said in a tweet that the website for Australian Unions has also been blocked from the platform. (CNET)