Foreign Technology

Facebook, Instagram Restrict News Access In Canada

Written by Basirat Memudu

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, says it will begin to restrict news on its platforms to Canadian consumers.

Meta’s decision comes on the heels of a controversial online news bill passed by the Canadian parliament in Ottawa.

The bill forces big platforms to compensate news publishers for content posted on their sites.

Meta and Google have been testing limiting access to news to some Canadians.

Canada’s Online News Act, which cleared the senate on Thursday, lays out rules requiring platforms like Meta and Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news organisations for their content.

According to Meta, “The fundamentally flawed legislation that ignores the realities of how our platforms work.”

BBC reports that in 2021, Australian users were blocked from sharing or viewing news on Facebook in response to a similar law.

RN