Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has announced that it will no longer display news content on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, in Canada. This decision follows a similar move made by the company in Australia earlier this year.
The move is in response to proposed legislation in Canada that would require digital platforms to pay for news content that appears on their sites. This legislation is similar to the News Media Bargaining Code that was passed in Australia earlier this year. The code requires tech giants like Facebook and Google to pay Australian media outlets for news content that is displayed on their platforms.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Meta said, “We have decided to remove news from Facebook and Instagram in Canada as we do not want to be subject to a regime that would force us to pay for content that is freely available on the web.”
This decision has been met with criticism from media organizations in Canada, who argue that Facebook and other tech giants are profiting from their content without paying for it. They have also expressed concern that this move will result in less news being shared on social media platforms, which could lead to a decrease in engagement and readership for their outlets.
According to a report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, social media has become the primary source of news for many Canadians, with 52% of respondents saying they get their news from social media platforms. This makes Facebook and Instagram important channels for media outlets to reach their audiences.
Some media outlets have already started to take action in response to the proposed legislation. In October, the CBC, Canada’s national broadcaster, announced that it would stop publishing news content on Facebook in Canada. Other media organizations, including The Globe and Mail and Postmedia, have also expressed support for the legislation.
It remains to be seen how the removal of news content from Facebook and Instagram will affect media outlets in Canada. While some have argued that this move could lead to a decrease in engagement and readership for their outlets, others have suggested that it could push media organizations to diversify their sources of traffic and revenue.
One thing is clear: the relationship between tech giants and the media industry is fraught with tension, and it’s likely that we’ll continue to see disputes over the use of news content on social media platforms in the years to come.
