CBC calls it “irresponsible” and “abuse of power”; CAB says it shows “tangible disregard for democracy”
Starting Tuesday, Meta has begun blocking Canadian news content on Facebook and Instagram for their users in Canada.
In an update Tuesday to its June announcement of its intention to end news availability on its platforms in Canada, in response to the passing of the Online News Act, Meta says these changes “will be implemented for all people accessing Facebook and Instagram in Canada over the course of the next few weeks.”
The changes mean news links and content posted by Canadian news publishers and broadcasters on Facebook and Instagram will no longer be viewable by people in Canada. In addition, although news publishers and broadcasters outside of Canada will still be able to post news links and content, people in Canada will not be able to see that content.
Furthermore, people in Canada will not be able to view or share news content on Facebook and Instagram, including news articles and audio-visual content posted by news outlets, Meta explains in its update.
“In order to provide clarity to the millions of Canadians and businesses who use our platforms, we are announcing today that we have begun the process of ending news availability permanently in Canada,” Rachel Curran, head of public policy at Meta Canada, said in a statement.
“For many months, we have been transparent about our concerns with the Online News Act. It is based on the incorrect premise that Meta benefits unfairly from news content shared on our platforms, when the reverse is actually true. News outlets voluntarily share content on Facebook and Instagram to expand their audiences and help their bottom line. In contrast, we know the people using our platforms don’t come to us for news,” Curran added.
“In the future, we hope the Canadian government will recognize the value we already provide the news industry and consider a policy response that upholds the principles of a free and open internet, champions diversity and innovation, and reflects the interests of the entire Canadian media landscape.”
Canadian broadcasters were quick to respond to Meta’s announcement today.
“Meta’s move to deny Canadians access to domestic sources of trusted news and verified information — especially at a time when Canadians are depending on it to stay safe from the harmful effects of unprecedented weather events across much of the country — is irresponsible and an abuse of their market power,” says a statement from CBC/Radio-Canada this afternoon.
The CBC’s statement notes Canadians who have come to rely on Facebook and Instagram to access news and information “are now left with only unverified sources in their feeds. This problem is particularly acute in Canada’s North, for Francophones in minority language communities, and for people in rural communities who depend more on Facebook for news.”
CBC/Radio-Canada is calling on Meta “to act responsibly by restoring Canadians’ access to news — all news, from all outlets, both public and private — and by negotiating with Canadian media organizations to compensate them for their news content,” the statement adds.
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) also released a statement today, saying “Meta’s decision to end news availability in Canada in the coming weeks shows the company’s tangible disregard for democracy and its willingness to allow misinformation to thrive instead of paying its fair share to legitimate news businesses under the Online News Act.”
“It is deeply troubling that Meta will deliberately hinder news availability in our country instead of offering workable solutions to help make the new legislation work,” CAB President Kevin Desjardins said in a press release. “The bottom line is that Meta would rather continue to pocket the billions in revenues it takes out of the Canadian economy while fundamentally eroding Canadians’ news access and raising the profile of misinformation on its platforms. This is a lose-lose proposition for all Canadians.”
Desjardins went on to say, “With foreign digital platforms now taking more than 70 per cent of advertising revenues out of Canada, our news and media businesses are deeply challenged to continue to provide Canadians with the level of journalism they deserve.”
Newly-minted Canadian Heritage Min. Pascale St-Onge said in a statement that Canada is standing up to Facebook for “the right reasons” with Google and Facebook now accounting for 80% of all digital advertising revenue in Canada.
“The world is watching Canada,” asserted St-Onge. “Other countries are looking at introducing similar legislation to tackle the same challenges…Facebook is trying to send a message, not only to Canada, but to other countries like New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.”
“We’re going to keep standing our ground. After all, if the government can’t stand up for Canadians against tech giants, who will?”
After Meta, and later Google, threatened to block news in Canada, the CAB said in late June this was an issue the Competition Bureau should scrutinize closely.
“The CAB welcomed the passage of Bill C-18, the Online News Act, which will ensure that Canadian news businesses have a fair negotiating regime to bargain with much larger digital entities that have been profiting from the use of Canadians’ online news activities (reading, sharing, navigating) to further build their market dominance in advertising, search and social media,” today’s CAB statement concludes.
In response to Meta’s June decision to block Canadian news content on its platforms, the Canadian government and several companies – including Cogeco, Quebecor, Bell Media and Corus – have suspended advertising on Meta products.
With a file from Connie Thiessen of Broadcast Dialogue. Photo via Pixabay.
