Facebook blocked the sharing of news in Australia on Wednesday over government plans to make it media groups for content, but the move disrupted the pages of emergency services while triggering accusations of censorship. From early Thursday, Australians were unable to post links to news articles or view the Facebook pages of news outlets from anywhere in the world. The move came as retaliation for laws proposed in Canberra that would force social media giants to pay for news content shared on their site.

Fire, health, and meteorological services around the country were experiencing problems with their Facebook pages during several serious public emergencies, sparking angry calls for the firm to quickly fix the situation.