Toronto Star’s parent company immediately suspends advertising on Facebook and Instagram

The decision comes after tech giants opted to stop sharing Canadian news content on their platforms after the Online News Act passed into legislation last month.

Thestar.com
July 7, 2023
Santiago Arias Orozco

The Toronto Star’s parent company will immediately halt all advertising on Facebook and Instagram in response Meta’s move to block news content from Canadian publications.

“We vigorously object to Meta’s unprecedented plans to block our content on its platforms in protest against the federal government’s Online News Act,” said Torstar CEO Neil Oliver in a press release Thursday afternoon.

“It is critical that we ensure all Canadians have full access to trusted, reliable news and journalism,” said Oliver. “We also encourage other Canadian media outlets, advertisers and governments to make clear their opposition to Meta’s intention to cut Canadians off from essential information and trusted news in a time when we need to be standing up for democracy.”

Meta’s decision to block news comes in response to the Canadian government’s Online News Act, which seeks to make tech giants pay news outlets for sharing their content. (Torstar lobbied the government in favour of the legislation, which passed last month.)

Torstar, which also owns Metroland Media Group, is the latest company to suspend advertising in protest of the tech giant’s decision. Quebecor Inc. and Cogeco Inc. have both said they’ll also pull ads from Meta’s platforms.

The federal government, too, has promised to withdraw its advertising from Meta. On Wednesday, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez called Facebook “unreasonable” and “irresponsible” as he announced the move.

Torstar stressed its “full support” Thursday for the Online News Act. Bill C-18 requires social media companies to pay Canadian news outlets a “fair price” each time a user accesses their content via a link shared on a social media platform.