Advertisement

Meta says it will block news content in Canada if C-18 passes

Click to play video: 'Google blocks some Canadian news sites from results in protest of Bill C-18'
Google blocks some Canadian news sites from results in protest of Bill C-18
Google is blocking content from certain news sites for some Canadians, in what the tech titan calls a “test run” of its response to Bill C-18. Also known as the Online News Act, the bill would compel tech companies to compensate news organizations for republishing their content. David Akin has reaction to Google's move, how much money is at stake, and how long the test could last – Feb 23, 2023

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.

Story continues below advertisement

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.

Sponsored content

AdChoices