Meta's Canadian standoff and the implications for Australia
Just like it did in Australia, Meta has pulled news from Facebook and Instagram in Canada. This time, however, it may not be temporary.
At first glance, it looks like a repeat performance. Facing the threat of a law that would force it to pay news publishers, Meta announced earlier this month it’s starting the process of blocking news from its platforms in Canada.
Users in the country who look up The New York Times on Facebook or CNN on Instagram will be greeted by a curt message. "In response to Canadian government legislation, news content can't be viewed in Canada,” the pages read.
The legislation in question, the Online News Act, passed in June. When it comes into effect in four months, it will force big tech platforms like Meta and Google to pay news media companies for the articles that populate social media feeds and Google searches.
"As we've always said, the law is based on a fundamentally flawed premise," Meta communications head Andy Stone tweeted. "And, regrettably, the only way we can reasonably comply is to end news availability in Canada."
