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Meta finally followed through on its threats and started blocking news on Facebook and Instagram in Canada. The company did so due to the Online News Act. Requiring tech companies operating in Canada to pay a fee to news publishers for showing their content.
Major social platforms like Google and Meta have been involved in a legal dispute with governments worldwide over paying news publishers. Google could find a settlement with the EU publishers, but Meta doesn’t seem to want to appease.
Canada’s Online News Act obligates Meta to settle with the publishers in the country. However, in response, the company blocked news content on Facebook and Instagram in Canada.
“In order to comply with the Online News Act, we have begun the process of ending news availability in Canada,” Meta said in its statement. “These changes start today and will be implemented for all people accessing Facebook and Instagram in Canada over the course of the next few weeks.”
Meta began to block news content in Canada over Online News Act
The restriction not only covers the news content shared on Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram. But also includes links shared by users. This means if you live in the United States and share a news link with your friend in Canada, they won’t be able to view it. Meta said it has started to identify news outlets in Canada to block their content and links to their websites.
“News links and content posted by news publishers and broadcasters in Canada will no longer be viewable by people in Canada.” Mets added.
While Meta says blocking news in Canada is a “business decision,” journalists and publishers in the country are protesting the decision. The company claims the government made a wrong judgment by thinking the platform benefits from sharing news content while publishers get free advertisement.
Not allowing Canadian users to view news content and links will significantly reduce the publisher’s website visibility. Resulting in a massive decline in ad revenue. Minister of Canadian Heritage Pascale St-Onge called Meta’s decision an “irresponsible” message to Canadian people and other governments.
It remains to be seen whether Meta could settle with the Canadian publishers. However, the decision shows that Meta is not willing to compromise. Similarly, the company threatened to remove news content in California if the state passed its California Journalism Preservation Act. The bill requires Meta to pay a fair share to California-based publishers over using their content.