Meta said it won't back down from its threat to pull news access on Instagram and Facebook following the recent passage of the Online News Act.
The Canadian Senate passed the bill, also known as C-18, late Thursday evening. In a nutshell, the legislation would force Meta and other internet companies like Google to pay news publishers when they reproduce their content, as they do when a users posts a link to a news story
. Supporters of the bill say it and others like it are necessary to support local journalism decimated during the abrupt transition from print to digital media. Opponents say it amounts to an unnecessary “Meta has vigorously opposed the bill from the start, arguing it misrepresents the relationship between platforms and publishers and would lead to an “unworkable” situation.
“Today, we are confirming that news availability will be ended on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada,” Meta said in aimmediately following the senate vote. “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.
“We want to assure the millions of Canadians on our platforms that they will always be able to connect with friends and family, grow their businesses and support their local communities,” Meta added. A Meta spokesperson referred Gizmodo to the blog post when asked for further comment.pushed back against Meta’s rationale for limiting news access in a statement sent to Gizmodo.
. In that case, lawmakers proposed their own journalism laws which Meta similarly said would make providing news services untenable. Facebook and Instagram briefly cut off news access for an estimated 17 million users, leaving essential services like hospitals and fire services caught in the crossfire.
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