Meta Platforms announced on Tuesday that it has begun the process of removing access to news content in Canada due to a new law requiring internet platforms to compensate local news sources. The California-based firm opted to restrict news on Facebook and Instagram in reaction to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government’s Online News Act. This law is expected to go into effect before the end of the current fiscal year.
Rachel Curran, Meta Canada’s head of public policy, said in a statement Tuesday, “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, champions diversity and innovation and reflects the interests of the entire Canadian media landscape.”
The Online News Act requires major technology companies such as Meta and Google to establish agreements with Canadian news publishers for the usage of their content
The news ban will be gradually implemented for Canadian Facebook and Instagram users in the following weeks. As a result of the news block in Canada, the Canadian government, the Quebec government, and major businesses, notably Quebecor Inc., a media giant, have suspended all advertising on Meta’s platforms. The impact of Meta’s migration on persons outside of Canada is insignificant. People living outside of Canada can continue to use Meta’s services as usual. Canadian residents, on the other hand, can still obtain news by visiting news websites, using mobile news applications, and subscribing to their chosen publishers.
The Online News Act requires major technology companies such as Meta and Google to establish agreements with Canadian news publishers for the usage of their content. The Online News Act seeks to make technology behemoths reimburse news organizations for showing their material. In June, both Meta and Google announced their intention to ban access to news stories on their platforms in Canada in response to this legislation. Rachel Curran, Meta’s head of public policy in Canada, defended the company’s stance, claiming that news organizations willingly publish material on Facebook and Instagram in order to reach a larger audience and profit financially.
She also emphasized that people primarily utilize the sites for purposes other than news consumption. Nonetheless, the Canadian government criticized Meta’s decision as “irresponsible.” Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge expressed concerns that this move could deprive users of access to “high-quality and local news” without ensuring proper compensation for news organizations.