Canada’s Online News Act may let Meta and Google decide the winners and losers in the media industry

Posted Wednesday, June 28, 2023 10:47 am

Diana Bossio | Nieman Lab

The Online News Act, Bill C-18, was barely a few hours old when Meta announced it will soon start blocking Canadians from accessing and sharing news on Facebook, Instagram and all of its platforms.

The act is meant to change the way journalism in Canada is funded by requiring tech giants like Meta and Google to bargain with Canadian media businesses for using news content on their platforms. The Parliamentary Budget Office has estimated news organizations could share a total compensation of $329 million annually.

But Meta explained its decision to block news by saying journalism content contributes a pittance to the company’s annual earnings — and so it would be easier to pull news altogether than comply with the legislation.

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Canada’s Online News Act may let Meta and Google decide the winners and losers in the media industry

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