Wed 02 August 2023:
Tuesday marked the formal start of Meta, the parent company of the social media sites Facebook and Instagram, ceasing to provide news in Canada.
The move was expected in response to the passing of the Online News Act, or Bill C-18, by the Canadian government in June.
The bill aims to support news outlets financially as advertising has largely shifted to digital platforms, significantly affecting revenues.
“News outlets voluntarily share content on Facebook and Instagram to expand their audiences and help their bottom line,” Rachel Curran, Meta’s head of public policy in Canada, said. “In contrast, we know the people using our platforms don’t come to us for news.”
In a campaign against the law, which is part of a broader global trend to make tech firms pay for news, both Meta and Google said in June they would block access to news on their platforms in the country.
“In order to provide clarity to the millions of Canadians and businesses who use our platforms, we are announcing today that we have begun the process of ending news availability permanently in Canada,” Rachel Curran, Meta’s head of public policy in Canada, said in a statement, as reported by CBC. “In the future, we hope the Canadian government will recognize the value we already provide the news industry and consider a policy response that upholds the principles of a free and open internet,” she added.
In preparation for the implementation the law, Meta had already been blocking news content for certain Canadians. Now, this restriction is being expanded nationwide. Canadians will no longer have access to view or post news content on Facebook or Instagram. Besides, domestic and international news outlets will have their content blocked on those platforms.
The process of implementing these changes across Meta’s platforms is anticipated to take a few weeks.
Canada’s legislation is similar to a ground-breaking law that Australia passed in 2021 and had triggered threats from Google and Facebook to curtail their services.
Both companies eventually struck deals with Australian media firms after amendments to the legislation were offered.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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