If you usually watch the news on social media and you reside in Canada, we have some bad news for you: soon, you won’t be able to do so. This will be the case at least on Facebook and Instagram, as Meta plans to block access to news on these apps following the approval of the “Online News Act” in the North American country.
The law, passed last Thursday, will require major internet companies to pay news publishers for linking to or publishing content from Canadian media outlets. This situation is very similar to what happened in Spain in 2014 when Google News ceased operations due to a reform of the Intellectual Property Law that aimed for the same purpose.
“We are confirming that the availability of news will end on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada before the Online News Act (Bill C-18) comes into effect,” Meta said in a blog post. “We have repeatedly shared that to comply with Bill C-18, news content, including news publishers and broadcasting organizations, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada.”
Meta is not caught off guard by this situation, as the Canadian law has been under discussion since 2021. Since then, Mark Zuckerberg’s company has made it clear that they oppose the law, even threatening to end news on their apps in Canadian territory unless the law was modified. The Canadian government did not back down, and Meta has already started blocking access to news on Facebook and Instagram earlier this month, although only for some users.
“Facebook knows very well that they currently have no obligation under the law,” wrote Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez on Twitter. “After the royal sanction of the Bill #C18, the government will initiate a process of regulation and enforcement. If the government cannot defend Canadians against tech giants, who will?”
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