The search giant has warned that Australian users would face degraded search and YouTube experiences if the new code that targets Google and Facebook is enforced.

The Australian government said in July it would require Facebook and Google to pay for news provided by media companies under a royalty-style system that is scheduled to become law this year.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Google and Facebook would be the first digital platforms targeted by the proposed legislation but others could follow.

Facebook has begun alerting some users that their data was swept up in the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal.

Facebook is overhauling its news feed to focus on what friends and family share.

Facebook has come under scrutiny over the use of its platform to display fake news stories and advertisements designed to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Ten major news publishers, including The Washington Post, The Economist and the Boston Globe, have signed up for the trial.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed the social network is taking new steps to combat fake news on the platform, just days after President Barack Obama commented on the issue.