At the beginning of the month, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, made an announcement through a blog post that it would remove all news content from Facebook and Instagram in Canada if the government passed the proposed Online News Act. Just days ago, the Canadian Parliament passed the bill, and Meta wasted no time in confirming that it would follow through on its threat.
In a recent statement, Meta stated, “Today, we are confirming that news availability will be ended on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada prior to the Online News Act (Bill C-18) taking effect. We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18, passed today in Parliament, content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada.”
The Online News Act was introduced as a response to the significant decline in advertising revenue that Canadian news organizations have faced over the past two decades. The legislation requires major tech companies like Google and Meta to negotiate reimbursement plans with news outlets for featuring their stories on their platforms.
Earlier this month, Meta revealed that it was working on a software-based solution to address the challenges posed by the C-18 legislation. As of now, these efforts are ongoing and only impact a small percentage of users in Canada. Meta wants to assure its users that aside from the loss of news functionality, no other aspects of the Facebook experience will be affected by these changes.
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Interestingly, this is not the first time that Meta has responded to attempted government oversight by limiting access to news content. In 2021, the company removed news features from the Australian market after the country passed similar compensation legislation. This drastic move even prevented publishers from linking to their posts on the Facebook platform. The action had a negative impact on numerous Australian government agencies and nonprofit organizations before eventually being reversed.
Many experts argue that this legislation sets a dangerous precedent, as it allows the government to dictate who enters into news content agreements and determines how much compensation news outlets should receive. In response to the Australian legislation, William Easton, Facebook’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand, wrote in a blog post, “We will now prioritize investments in other countries, as part of our plans to invest in new licensing news programs and experiences.”
While Google is also affected by the bill’s implementation, it has yet to announce any plans to cut its services in Canada. However, the company began testing a means of blocking news access in the country back in February.
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In conclusion, Meta has confirmed that it will remove news content from Facebook and Instagram in Canada as a result of the Online News Act. The bill aims to address the decline in advertising revenue for Canadian news organizations by requiring tech giants like Google and Meta to negotiate reimbursement plans. Meta’s decision is reminiscent of the company’s past actions in response to government oversight. While Google has not yet made any official announcements, it has previously tested blocking news access in Canada. These developments raise important questions about the relationship between tech companies, news outlets, and government regulation.
