Former Facebook Australia, New Zealand CEO Stephen Scheeler slams decision to ban Australian news

Facebook's decision to ban Australian news from its platform is "like an act of war", according to its former Australian and New Zealand boss.

Stephen Scheeler hit back at the company after the move on Thursday.

"Facebook has turned off everything, including bushfire information, and charities like Oxfam. It looks and feels really ugly. Australians should be outraged," Scheeler told The Australian news outlet.

"I think it's them saying they don't care. I think Australians have to look really hard at what they are doing."

The social networking service blocked all Australian and international news content from Australian media sites in response to the country's proposed Media Bargaining Law.

The proposed law would force the likes of Facebook and Google to pay Australian news outlets for their content, which both companies fiercely opposed.

"It has left us facing a stark choice: attempt to comply with a law that ignores the realities of this relationship, or stop allowing news content on our services in Australia," Facebook wrote in a statement.

"With a heavy heart, we are choosing the latter."

Scheeler, who resigned from Facebook in 2017, said the company has become even more powerful than the government.

"I'm a proud ex-Facebooker, but over the years I get more and more exasperated," he said. "For Facebook and Mark [Zuckerberg] it's too much about the money, and the power, and not about the good.

The former CEO says it's like an act of war that shouldn't be taken lightly.

"What if a Chinese company in the same position had done the same thing? Even if they warned us about it or not, we would be outraged. It's like an act of war. That's how we should view this. It's not good. I think Facebook may eventually regret this one day.

"I'm sad for Facebook in a way," he added, "but if you wanted a glaring example of why Facebook needs more regulation, this is it."