Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, have initiated the process of blocking news outlets in Canada.

In response to a new Canadian law, Meta announced on Tuesday that it has initiated the process of discontinuing news availability in Canada on both Facebook and Instagram.

The social media giant stated in an update on August 1, that these changes have already begun and will gradually be implemented for all users accessing Facebook and Instagram in Canada over the next few weeks.

This decision comes as a result of Canada’s Online News Act, which was passed in June 2023. The government introduced this law to ensure equitable revenue sharing between digital platforms and news outlets, and to enable news outlets to engage in collective bargaining with major tech companies.

However, instead of compensating news organizations as mandated by the Canadian law, Meta has taken the decision to block access to news outlets in the country. In a blog post, Meta expressed their stance on the matter, stating that they have been open and transparent with the Canadian government, highlighting that the legislation misrepresents the value news outlets gain from using their platforms.

Meta argues that the legislation is founded on the incorrect assumption that they unfairly benefit from news content shared on Facebook and Instagram. They assert that, in reality, it is news outlets who voluntarily share their content on these platforms to reach a broader audience and improve their financial situation. Additionally, Meta emphasized that their users do not primarily come to the platforms for news, further justifying their decision to end news availability in Canada.

As a result of these changes, news links and content shared by Canadian news publishers and broadcasters will no longer be accessible to users within Canada, as per Meta’s announcement. On the other hand, news publishers and broadcasters outside of Canada will still have the capability to post news links and content; however, these posts will not be visible to users in Canada.

Meta clarified that it is employing legislative definitions and following guidelines from the Online News Act to identify which accounts to block. The company is using this criteria to determine which news outlets will be affected by the access restrictions.

Furthermore, Google has also stated its intentions to block Canadian news sources from its Search, News, and Discover services in response to the implementation of the new law.

CBC/Radio-Canada issued a statement expressing criticism towards Meta’s actions. The media organization denounced Meta’s decision to deny Canadians access to trusted news and verified information from domestic sources, particularly during a time when reliable news is vital for safeguarding citizens against the impacts of severe weather events occurring across much of the country. CBC/Radio-Canada characterized Meta’s actions as irresponsible and an abuse of their market power.