Meta Platforms are planning the end of news content on Facebook and Instagram in Canada, with lawmakers on the verge of forcing social-networking platforms to pay media publishers to feature their work.
Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs said in a statement, “We’ve taken the difficult decision that if this flawed legislation is passed, we will have to end the availability of news content on Facebook and Instagram in Canada.”
He described Canada’s proposed Online News Act as “fundamentally flawed.” He believes it would lead Canada to become the “first democracy to put a price on free links to web pages, which flies in the face of global norms.”
FILE PHOTO: Facebook’s new rebrand logo Meta is seen on smartpone in front of displayed logo of Facebook, Messenger, Intagram, Whatsapp, Oculus in this illustration picture taken October 28, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
The former UK deputy Prime Minister was scheduled to speak about this legislation as a committee of Canada’s House of Commons. He canceled once the session’s title became “Tech Giants’ Current and Ongoing Use of Intimidation and Subversion Tactics to Evade Regulation in Canada and Across the World.”
Bill C-18, Canada’s act was brought into play in an effort to establish a “fair revenue sharing” system between digital platforms and news outlets. It was also a way to provide for collective bargaining by media in regards to negotiating fees with companies such as Meta.
The legislation was introduced last year, with Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez seeking to address a “market imbalance” as there were an increasing number of Canadians turning to digital platforms for their news hit.
Meta warned last year it would remove Facebook and Instagram from Europe altogether over European Union data regulations, meaning Canada is not the first.
