Facebook And Instagram Start Blocking News Content In Canada In Response To Country’s New Law
02.08.2023 - 00:15
/ deadline.com
In compliance with Canada’s Online News Act, Facebook and Instagram have begun blocking news content for users in the North American country.
The legislation, which became law in June, requires tech companies to pay news organizations in exchange for hosting their content. The law is intended to help preserve Canadian news organizations and limit the erosion of their businesses due to internet distribution. Instead of agreeing to the fees, Meta and Google have both said they would instead simply eliminate news in Canada.
A similar bill in California has cleared certain hurdles in the state and could soon become law. The situation in Canada has reinvigorated a longstanding debate in the U.S., which has seen a number of news organizations hobbled as tech companies continue to draw vast numbers of readers and advertisers.
Meta confirmed in a blog post that the unwinding of news material has started in Canada and will take effect across Facebook and Instagram over the next few weeks. The blocks will not affect news on the social platforms that circulates elsewhere in the world.
Both Meta and Canadian news outlets expressed frustration with the outcome of the government’s action.
“We have been transparent and have made it clear to the Canadian government that the legislation misrepresents the value news outlets receive when choosing to use our platforms,” Meta wrote in its blog post. “The legislation is based on the incorrect premise that Meta benefits unfairly from news content shared on our platforms, when the reverse is true. News outlets voluntarily share content on Facebook and Instagram to expand their audiences and help their bottom line. In contrast, we know the people using our platforms don’t come to us for news.”
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