Meta announced it would start to limit news on its platforms to Canadian users, after a controversial online news bill was passed by parliament.
The legislation mandates that major platforms pay news publishers for the content that is posted on their websites.
The restriction of news access to some Canadians has already been tested by Meta and Google.
Due to a similar law, Australian users were prevented from sharing or viewing news on Facebook in 2021.
The Online News Act of Canada, which was approved by the Senate on Thursday, establishes regulations requiring companies like Meta and Google to enter into commercial agreements and compensate news organizations for their content.
The law is “fundamentally flawed legislation that ignores the realities of how our platforms work”, according to Meta.
Before the bill goes into effect, it was announced on Thursday that news availability for all Canadian users on Facebook and Instagram will be stopped.
According to a spokesperson for Meta, “a legislative framework that compels us to pay for links or content that we do not post, and which are not the reason the vast majority of people use our platforms, is neither sustainable nor workable”.
According to the company, Canadian users’ access to other services will not be impacted by the changes to news.
Google declared the legislation to be “unworkable” in its current form and stated that it was looking to collaborate with the government to find a “path forward.”
The online news bill, according to the federal government, is essential “to enhance fairness in the Canadian digital news market” and to enable financially strained news organizations to “secure fair compensation” for news and links shared on the platforms.
According to an independent budget watchdog’s analysis of the bill, news organizations could receive about C$329 million ($250 million; £196 million) annually from digital platforms.
The tests being conducted by the tech platforms are “unacceptable” and a “threat,” Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez told Reuters earlier this month.
Facebook in Australia gave its users access to news content again, after discussions with the government resulted in changes
In spite of the fact that Mr. Rodriguez’s office announced on Thursday that he had met with Google and Facebook this week and planned additional discussions, the government would still carry out the bill’s implementation.
He said in a statement, “If the government can’t defend Canadians against tech titans, who will?”
Industry associations for the media hailed the bill’s passage as a step towards market justice.
Real journalism, created by real journalists, continues to be demanded by Canadians and is vital to our democracy, but it costs real money,” said Paul Deegan, president and chief executive officer of News Media Canada, an industry group for the media.
In six months, Canada’s Online News Act is anticipated to go into effect.
Source-BBC
