News/Commentary

Meta to remove news from Facebook, Instagram in Canada over law forcing them to pay media; Calif may be next

June 23, 2023 | | Print Article

Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg intends to remove Canadian news content from Facebook and Instagram thanks to the passage of a draconian new Canadian law.

Passed by the Canadian Parliament on Thursday, the Online News Act will force social media companies to fork over cash to any Canadian news outlets that are linked to on their platforms.

In other words, if a Facebook user were to post a link to a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation story, Meta would owe money to the CBC.

Meta promptly responded to the news of the law’s passage by releasing a statement vowing to end Canadian news content on Facebook and Instagram.

“Today, we are confirming that news availability will be ended on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada prior to the Online News Act (Bill C-18) taking effect,” the statement reads.

“We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18, passed today in Parliament, content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada,” it continues.

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, the man reportedly responsible for C-18, dismissed the statement.

“Facebook knows very well that they have no obligations under the act right now. Following Royal Assent of Bill C-18, the Government will engage in a regulatory and implementation process. If the Government can’t stand up for Canadians against tech giants, who will?” he said in an email to the National Post.

However, Google may soon follow Facebook’s lead.

“Canadians could also see news content disappear from their Google searches if Google does the same. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez is holding last-minute talks with Google Thursday afternoon,” the Post notes.

To be clear, the bill doesn’t specifically name Google and Meta. But according to the Post, it applies to all “companies that ‘make news content available’ and have a ‘significant bargaining power imbalance’ with news businesses.”

“Canadian news businesses are operating in a world where a handful of large players have an inordinate amount of power (over) how online content is accessed,” Quebec Sen. Marc Gold said on Thursday in a speech to the Upper Chamber of Parliament, according to CTV News.

“These large digital platforms have used their outsized market power to make news content available without compensation (to) news organizations,” he continued, adding that the purpose of C-18 is to fix this alleged power imbalance.

All this comes as the Canadian news industry continues to collapse — much like the American news industry.

“Since 2008, close to 500 media outlets in 335 communities across Canada have closed, with more than 20,000 journalists losing their job … while Google and Meta continue to bring in billions in advertising dollars,” the Post notes.

“We all lose if Canadian news businesses are starved to the point where they can no longer produce high quality journalism, when no one is there to report on democratic institutions and counter the growing wave of disinformation. Citizens suffer the consequences,” Gold said in his Thursday speech.

The only good news is that, given the way the bill is designed, were Google and Meta to indeed stop serving news content, then they wouldn’t be liable under the law. In other words, they’d get off scot-free, as is what is now happening with Facebook.

As for the Canadian news industry, they love the new law.

The CEO of Postmedia Network Corp., which reportedly owns dozens of Canadian publications, praised the bill in a statement released Thursday.

“We thank the Prime Minister, Heritage Ministry and Parliament in passing Bill C-18. A first step towards leveling the playing field,” CEO Andrew MacLeod said.

“Journalism isn’t free, Bill C-18 is a first step in ensuring news media content creators can be fairly compensated for the costs associated with keeping Canadians informed and begins the journey toward a viable online ecosystem,” he added.

News Media Canada, an organization that reportedly advocates on behalf of news publishers, also celebrated the new law.

“Real journalism, created by real journalists, continues to be demanded by Canadians and is vital to our democracy, but it costs real money,” CEO and president Paul Deegan said.

“Original, fact-based, fact-checked journalism from authoritative news brands matters, and publishers look forward to participating in the bargaining process in good faith,”  he added.

Critics for their part say that laws such as this are designed to artificially prop up and inflate an industry —  the legacy media — that’s deservedly and justifiably in decline because of its lies, its bias, and its shoddy brand of so-called “journalism.”

Vivek Saxena
Latest posts by Vivek Saxena (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles