Meta Removes News Content from Facebook and Instagram in Canada

Washington
CNN
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The Canadian legislation known as Bill C-18 aims to enhance fairness in the Canadian digital news marketplace by regulating digital news intermediaries. In response to this legislation, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has started removing news content from its platforms in Canada. This move comes as tech companies face increasing pressure to negotiate payments to news organizations for hosting their content.

The decision to remove news content will gradually roll out over the coming weeks, according to Meta spokesperson Andy Stone. As a result, Canadian users of Facebook and Instagram will no longer be able to click on links to news articles. Google has also announced its plans to remove news content from its platforms in Canada when the law takes effect, which could be as soon as December.

The removal of news content highlights the ongoing global debate over the relationship between news organizations and social media companies and who benefits from news content. The tech platforms initially opposed the 2021 Australian law that would have required them to remove news content, but they have since reached voluntary agreements with several news outlets in the country.

Similar proposals have been introduced worldwide to address allegations that the tech industry has negatively impacted local journalism by diverting online advertising revenues. In the US, the Senate has advanced a bill that would grant news organizations the ability to negotiate for a greater share of advertising revenues against online platforms.

Meta has criticized the Canadian legislation, claiming that it misrepresents the value news outlets receive when using their platforms. According to a blog post by Meta, news outlets voluntarily share content on Facebook and Instagram to expand their audiences and improve their financial performance. However, Canadian users will still be able to access news content by visiting news outletsÔÇÖ websites directly or subscribing to their apps.

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AI legalese decoder also enables news organizations to stay informed about the legal framework governing their relationship with tech platforms. With its ability to simplify complex legal texts, news outlets can easily grasp their rights, obligations, and potential avenues for negotiation with tech companies regarding payments for hosting their content.

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