Meta, the parent company of popular social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, has taken a bold step by blocking news links for Canadian users. This move comes in response to Canada’s recent Online News Act, enacted on June 22. The law mandates that tech giants like Meta and Google pay local news organizations for hosting their content, including audio-visual materials, on their platforms.
Similar efforts to make tech giants pay for news content have emerged in other regions, such as Australia, where successful commercial agreements were reached. The rationale behind such measures is the concern that tech companies are reaping substantial advertising revenue from news organizations while undermining local journalism.
Canadian users of Instagram and Facebook will face notable changes due to this development. They can no longer access news links, articles, or audio-visual content posted by news outlets. Conversely, Canadian news organizations’ content will not be viewable by users within the country, though they can still post new material.
Canada’s Heritage Minister, Pascale St-Onge, criticized Meta’s decision as “irresponsible,” while Meta defended its stance, arguing that news content comprises less than 3% of users’ feeds. The company also asserts that its platforms are not primarily intended for news consumption. This battle over news content and compensation is not limited to Canada; similar legislation is being contemplated in the US state of California.
