Meta Platforms announced on Thursday that it will initiate testing on its social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, which will restrict certain users and publishers from accessing or sharing news content in Canada.
This testing phase is set to last for several weeks, during which a small portion of Canadian users involved in the testing will receive notifications if they attempt to share news-related content.
The move is a direct response to Canada’s proposed “Online News Act”, first presented in April 2022. The legislation aims to compel tech giants like Meta and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, to negotiate commercial agreements and compensate Canadian news publishers for their content.
In March, Meta issued a warning that it would cease the availability of news content to Canadian users if the proposed bill were to be enacted in its existing form.
Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who sponsored the legislation, criticized the tests, labeling them as “unacceptable.” He stated, “When a big tech company… tells us, ‘If you don’t do this or that, then I’m pulling the plug’ – that’s a threat. I’ve never done anything because I was afraid of a threat,” during a conversation with Reuters.
Earlier this year, Google also conducted similar tests, blocking news content for specific Canadian users as part of preparations for a possible reaction to the online news bill.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
