Blocked
Meta is planning to follow through on threats to block Canadians from sharing any news on Facebook and Instagram, after the country’s Senate passed a law requiring social media platforms pay news outlets to share their stories.
The new law, known as the Online News Act, intends to create a more level playing field between big tech and the publishing industry — forcing search engines and social media platforms to engage in some kind of negotiation for licensing news content.
Drop the news, it's cleaner
Although not quite the news portal it once was, Facebook is still the most common social media site to go to for information. 28% of people in a recent survey by the Reuters Institute said they had used the platform for news in the last week, more than YouTube (20%), Twitter (11%), and Meta's other property, Instagram (14%).
Canada, however, isn’t the first country to entertain this kind of legislation. In 2021, Meta blocked news from its platform in Australia after the country passed a similar law — eventually leading to deals between major publishers and the site.
Related reading: Keep an eye out on Sunday for our latest deep dive into digital media.
