Facebook and Instagram‘s parent company says it will stop making news content available on its platforms if the proposed federal Online News Act passes in its current form.
Meta spokesperson Lisa Laventure says the company made the decision because the act will require it to pay publishers for links or content it doesn’t post.
Laventure says paying for these posts is neither sustainable nor workable for Meta.
Tech giants like Meta and Google have fought against the proposed law known as Bill C-18, which would require digital giants such as Google to negotiate deals that would compensate Canadian media companies for linking to or repurposing their content online.
Large Canadian media companies and the federal Liberal government argue the bill would level the playing field for news outlets that compete with tech giants for advertising dollars.
Facebook blocked access to news in Australia after a similar law was discussed in 2021, but quickly backtracked after the government made changes to an arbitration mechanism in the bill.
- Officials stress Calgarians must save water after Bearspaw main break sees no drop in usage
- Yukon-Alaska border rocked by 3 earthquakes in final hours of 2025
- Canadians ring in 2026 with ‘invigorating’ polar plunges across the country
- Snowmobiler dies in avalanche in Rocky Mountains in northeastern B.C.
Comments