Meta begins news ban for Instagram and Facebook users in Canada. Here’s how it will affect you

Meta’s plans to block news content for Canadian users of Facebook and Instagram will start rolling out Tuesday, ending weeks of speculation over when the company would officially retaliate against the Liberal government’s online news law.

Thestar.com
Aug. 2, 2023
Raisa Patel

Meta’s plans to block news content for Canadian users of Facebook and Instagram started rolling out Tuesday, ending weeks of speculation over when the company would officially retaliate against the Liberal government’s online news law.

“In order to comply with the Online News Act, we have begun the process of ending news availability in Canada. These changes start today, and will be implemented for all people accessing Facebook and Instagram in Canada over the course of the next few weeks,” a statement from the company read.

Meta’s move is in response to a recently passed law, formerly known as Bill C-18, that the Liberals have framed as an effort to support a journalism industry it says has been hurt by tech titans’ domination of the digital advertising market.

The law would compel platforms like Meta and Google -- which share, repurpose and direct users to online news content -- to strike deals with the publishers who produce those stories, and face financial penalties if they don’t. A number of Canadian news publishers (including Torstar, which publishes the Toronto Star) supported the legislation.

Both platforms have long promised to take action against the law, which they have repeatedly said unduly forces them into payment deals for driving key traffic to online news outlets and generating revenue for publishers.

“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,” said Rachel Curran, Meta Canada’s head of public policy.

“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.”

Despite stating that news sharing is not a top draw for users of Meta’s platforms, Curran nevertheless told a Senate committee in May that Facebook delivered more than 1.9 billion clicks to Canadian news publishers in the past year, resulting in more than $230 million in estimated value.

What does this mean for Canadian news?
Once Meta’s process to ban Canadian news is complete, Canadians won’t be able to access any news content from either publishers or broadcasters on Facebook and Instagram. That means people will be blocked from viewing content on a news outlet’s profile page -- and they won’t be able to share links to news content on their own profiles, either. The ban includes everything from written stories to audio-visual content.

Can I still view and share news from outlets outside Canada?
According to Meta, no.

“News publishers and broadcasters outside of Canada will continue to be able to post news links and content, however, that content will not be viewable by people in Canada,” the company says.

Meta had previously signalled that international news outlets like the New York Times and the BBC would be roped into its ban, because it believes that outlets that have partial operations in Canada are also targeted by the legislation.

However, the company confirmed to the Star on Tuesday that all international outlets, regardless of whether they are based in Canada, will be treated the same as Canadian publishers and broadcasters. Meta said it looked to definitions in the legislation when coming to that conclusion -- though the bill itself defines a “news business” as an “individual or entity that operates a news outlet in Canada.”

Anyone outside Canada will not be affected by the changes, meaning they will still be able to access news content.

How did the federal government respond?
Former heritage minister Pablo Rodriguez has refused to give in to Meta’s threats, announcing last month that Ottawa would halt all government advertising on Facebook and Instagram. A number of cities, two provinces and a handful of news organizations -- including Torstar -- followed suit.

Tuesday’s news marked the first time the Liberals’ new heritage minister, Pascale St-Onge, condemned Meta and waded into the fray.

“They have not participated in the regulatory process. They would rather block their users from accessing good-quality and local news instead of paying their fair share to news organizations,” St-Onge said in a statement.

She cited the closure of “hundreds” of Canadian newsrooms and the fact that a number of countries around the world are considering similar legislation as reasons why Canada should not back down.

“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,” St-Onge said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, meanwhile, sought to politicize the feud, suggesting to reporters that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was purposely trying to keep Canadians away from headlines.

“I know that Justin Trudeau doesn’t want Canadians to see the facts of life, because after eight years in power, people’s lives are falling apart,” he said.

“But here’s my response: whether it’s big tech or big government, censorship is always and everywhere wrong."