OTTAWA: Parent-company Meta said that Facebook and Instagram users in Canada will be blocked from viewing Canadian news after Ottawa passed a bill making it mandatory for Meta to pay for such content.
Google has said it is considering a similar move after criticizing the Online News Act in Canada.
The Silicon Valley heavyweights Meta and Google have pushed back against the bill, which aims to support Canadian news sector as hundreds of publications were closed in the last decade in Candada.
“Exciting news,” Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez tweeted after the bill passed a final hurdle in the Senate on its way to becoming law. He said Meta’s decision to block news content was regrettable, but we will stand up for Canadians against tech giants. His office said officials met with Facebook and Google this week and looked forward to further discussions about the new law.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month criticized Meta for a trial run of blocking Canadian news content for some users, saying the company was being “deeply irresponsible” for refusing to pay journalists for their work.
