Facebook rebrands as Meta. Courtesy Facebook/via REUTERS

Meta platforms initiate news content blockade for Canadian users

By Oluwaseyi Lawal

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has commenced the removal of news content from its social media platforms in Canada.

This action follows the recent passage of legislation in Canada that mandates tech companies to engage in negotiations for compensating news organizations hosting their content. Consequently, Canadian users of Facebook and Instagram will no longer have the ability to access news articles via links shared on these platforms. The rollout of these changes began on Tuesday and is set to be progressively implemented over the ensuing weeks, as disclosed by Meta’s spokesperson, Andy Stone.

The decision to expunge news content from Meta’s platforms in Canada emerges amid a global discourse concerning the value of news content and the equitable beneficiaries in the relationship between news entities and social media corporations.

In a parallel move, Google has also revealed intentions to eliminate news content from its platforms in Canada, with the potential execution of this measure in December.

The Canadian legislation, denoted as Bill C-18, was ratified in June with the explicit intention of bolstering the sustainability of news organizations while augmenting fairness within the Canadian digital news realm. Comparable initiatives have surfaced internationally due to apprehensions that the tech sector has detrimentally impacted local journalism by diverting substantial online advertising revenues.

Meta had previously issued warnings about removing news content from California if the state pursued a revenue-sharing bill, which is currently in abeyance. Additionally, the US Senate put forth a bill in June that advocates for furnishing news organizations with the authority to negotiate for a more substantial share of advertising revenues concerning online platforms, enabled by a proposed antitrust exemption designed for publishers and broadcasters.

Meta has contended that the Canadian legislation inaccurately depicts the value bestowed upon news outlets when they elect to utilize its platforms.

“The legislation is based on the incorrect premise that Meta benefits unfairly from news content shared on our platforms, when the reverse is true,” the blog post stated. “News outlets voluntarily share content on Facebook and Instagram to expand their audiences and help their bottom line.”

To counteract the news content withdrawal, Canadian users of Meta’s platforms will continue to access news materials by directly visiting news outlets’ websites or by availing themselves of subscription-based apps and services.