Canadians may need to seek alternative sources for news stories as Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram are cutting their access to news amid a dispute over a new payment law.
Users in Canada will soon find themselves without access to news stories on Facebook and Instagram as Meta, the parent company, announced its decision to end the availability of such content.
This move comes in response to the passage of Bill C-18, also known as the Online News Act, which mandates that social media platforms pay news outlets for the articles they utilize.
The bill has successfully passed through the Canadian House of Commons and Senate and is awaiting Royal Assent to become law.
In a statement released on Thursday, Meta stated that complying with Bill C-18 necessitated the removal of news content from news publishers and broadcasters on their platforms in Canada.
“We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18 … content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada,” said Meta in a statement.
“Facebook knows very well that they have no obligations under the act right now,” said Rodriquez, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriquez, on Twitter.
“Following Royal Assent of Bill #C18, the Government will engage in a regulatory and implementation process. If the Government can’t stand up for Canadians against tech giants, who will?”.
This decision will have significant implications for Canadians who rely on Facebook and Instagram as sources of news and information.
While Meta has taken a definitive stance, it remains uncertain whether Google will also follow suit.
It is worth noting that the revenue-sharing provisions outlined in Bill C-18 do not apply if Meta and Google choose to remove news content altogether.
