Facebook and Instagram Respond to New Canadian Law

Meta said Tuesday that it has “begun the process of ending news availability in Canada” across Facebook and Instagram in response to a new Canadian law.

Changes to Start Today

“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,” the social media giant said in an Aug. 1 blog post update.

Canada’s Online News Act

The move comes after the passage of Canada’s Online News Act in June 2023. The law was established to ensure “fair revenue sharing between digital platforms and news outlets,” according to the government, as well as provide for “collective bargaining by news outlets” with big tech firms.

Meta’s Response

But instead of compensating news organizations, Meta has decided to shut down access to them. “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 said in the 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.”

Impact on News Links and Content

The changes mean that news links and content posted by news publishers and broadcasters in Canada “will no longer be viewable by people in Canada,” while news publishers and broadcasters outside of Canada will continue to be able to post news links and content but “that content will not be viewable by people in Canada,” according to the company.

Identification of News Outlets to Block

In determining which accounts to block, Meta said, it is identifying news outlets based on legislative definitions and guidance from the Online News Act. Google has said it also expects to block Canadian news sources because of the new law.

CBC/Radio-Canada’s Criticism

In a statement, CBC/Radio-Canada criticized Meta’s actions. “Meta’s move to deny Canadians access to domestic sources of trusted news and verified information — especially at a time when Canadians are depending on it to stay safe from the harmful effects of unprecedented weather events across much of the country — is irresponsible and an abuse of their market power,” it said. “CBC/Radio-Canada joins all Canadian media organizations who are calling on Meta to act responsibly by restoring Canadians’ access to news — all news, from all outlets, both public and private — and by negotiating with Canadian media organizations to compensate them for their news content.”

Australia’s Similar Situation

A similar situation unfolded in Australia in 2021, when Meta blocked news outlets for users in the country on its platforms. The issue was resolved when the Australian government made changes to the law resulting in Google and Meta striking deals with local news outlets.