Meta has begun removing news content from Facebook and Instagram in Canada, with the social media giant saying Tuesday that tech companies will have to negotiate funding news organizations to host their content in response to a recently passed law in the country.
As a result of the move — which Meta previously said would happen before the law takes effect — Canadian users of Meta will no longer be able to click on links to news articles posted on Facebook and Instagram.
The changes began Tuesday and will roll out gradually in the coming weeks, Meta spokesman Andy Stone said.
This comes after the passage of a 2021 Australian law that tech platforms initially opposed by warning that it would similarly force them to remove news content. Since then, the platforms have reached voluntary agreements with various news outlets in that country.
Like-minded proposals around the world have been launched amid allegations that the tech industry has destroyed local journalism by sucking billions in online advertising revenue.
In May, Meta also threatened to remove news content from California if the state moved forward with a revenue-sharing bill. The law was put on hold last month.
And at the federal level, the U.S. Senate advanced a bill in June that would authorize news organizations to jointly negotiate a larger portion of advertising revenue against online platforms, thanks to a proposed no-confidence exemption for publishers and broadcasters.
In a blog post Tuesday, Meta said the Canadian legislation “misrepresents the value news outlets receive when choosing to use our platforms.”
“The legislation is based on the incorrect premise that Meta benefits unfairly from news content shared on our platforms, when the reverse is true,” the blog post said. “News outlets voluntarily share content on Facebook and Instagram to expand their audiences and help their bottom line.”
Canadian users of the Mater platform will still be able to access news content online by visiting the news outlet’s website directly or by signing up for their subscriptions and apps.
