Meta Platforms Inc, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced its plans to restrict access to news content on its platforms for all users in Canada. This decision comes in response to the Online News Act, a bill recently approved by the Senate upper chamber, which proposes that internet giants should compensate news publishers. Once the legislation receives royal assent, it will become law.
The Online News Act was introduced after concerns raised by Canada’s media industry, which seeks tighter regulations on tech companies to ensure fair competition in the online advertising market. Meta’s decision to end news availability on Facebook and Instagram aligns with its previous indications that news content holds no economic value for the company.
Similar to the groundbreaking law implemented in Australia in 2021, the Online News Act outlines measures to enforce platforms like Facebook and Google to enter into commercial agreements and make payments to news publishers for their content.
