Meta Blocks News on Social Platforms

By Alex Kerai

Last updated 23 June 2023

WhistleOut fast facts

The Online News Act became law on June 23, and the parent company of Facebook and Instagram has stated it is working to block news access in Canada.
The law intends to provide fair profit sharing between news outlets and media platforms like Facebook and Google.
In addition to Meta, Google may also block news access in response to the law.
There are six months until the law becomes enforceable, and Meta may continue its blockade or negotiate a deal with the government.

After the passage of the Online News Act, which was intended to help Canadian publishers negotiate licensing deals for their content on platforms, Meta has announced it will block Canadians from viewing or sharing news on its media, including Facebook and Instagram.

The bill received royal assent and became law on Thursday, June 22, 2023.

In a statement, the company said, “We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18, passed today in Parliament, content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada.”

The news blocking will take time; the company is working on how to block news access in Canada and says it should occur within the next few months. However, the company may reach a deal with the government and news outlets to prevent the blocking.

What was the goal of the Online News Act?

Bill C-18, or the Online News Act, was designed to help domestic news outlets by forcing tech giants that syndicate news—like Meta and Google—to pay the news outlets for posting journalism on their platforms.

“A free and independent press is fundamental to our democracy,” Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, said in a statement. “Thanks to the Online News Act, newsrooms across the country will now be able to negotiate fairly for compensation when their work appears on the biggest digital platforms. It levels the playing field by putting the power of big tech in check and ensuring that even our smallest news business can benefit through this regime and receive fair compensation for their work.”

The Online News Act “ensures fair revenue sharing between digital platforms and news outlets,” according to a press release, and could impact other digital platforms beyond Facebook and Instagram. Google is considering blocking news on its platform as well.

The law also has the unintended consequence of blocking Canadians’ access to news on social platforms. Many people receive news alerts and follow news stories on social media platforms, which could hurt Canadians’ access to accurate information.

Since the law has passed, the Department of Canadian Heritage will draft regulations, and it should take around six months for the law to come into force. By that time, Meta expects to block news access on all its platforms in Canada.

What does Meta's move mean for social media news?

The company confirmed that fact-checking will continue for available content in Canada. This will not include news content blocked on Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

Outlets can access their social media accounts and pages and post links and content, but “some content will not be viewable in Canada,” Meta said.

This is not the first time Meta has blocked news access in a country following a law mandating payment to domestic news outlets from social media companies. Last year, Australia passed a similar law, and Meta blocked users from seeing or sharing news content. However, within a week, the company came to a deal with the Australian government that allowed tech companies two months to negotiate with news outlets.

Meta has not revealed any plans to negotiate with the Canadian government. At this point, news availability in Canada will end soon on Facebook and Instagram.

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