Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
Meta Canada Online News Act overview:
- Who: Meta has announced that it will no longer be offering news content on Facebook or Instagram in Canada following the passage of the Online News Act.
- Why: The Online News Act requires media tech companies such as Meta to pay content fees to domestic media outlets.
- Where: The decision affects Canadian Facebook and Instagram users.
Meta has announced it will no longer allow access to news content on Facebook and Instagram in Canada, following the passage of the Online News Act.
The federal government last week passed the Online News Act, also known as Bill C-18, which mandates tech companies pay content fees to domestic media outlets, CNBC reports.
“This new law will require the largest digital platforms to bargain fairly with Canadian news businesses for the use of their news content on their services,” the federal government said in a news release.
Meta, meanwhile, said in a statement last week the passage of the bill means content from news outlets — including publishers and broadcasters — will “no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada.”
The social networking company said the decision was made “in order to comply” with the new bill, and said it is continuing to conduct product tests “to help us build an effective product solution to end news availability as a result of C-18.”
Meta temporarily removed news content for Australian Facebook users after passage of similar law
Meta previously chose to pull news content from its Facebook users in Australia after a similar law was passed in the country last year that required digital platforms to pay domestic media outlets when linking to their content either through search or feeds, according to CNBC.
The company, less than a week later, ultimately came to an agreement with the Australian government, which reportedly agreed to amend the law to grant tech companies two months to negotiate with media outlets.
Meta has also said it would remove news content from Facebook and Instagram for users in California, in the event a proposed law is passed that would require online platforms meeting certain conditions to pay eligible media outlets when hosting their content, CNBC reports.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court of British Columbia determined Facebook users who were part of a class action complaint against Facebook did not give the company consent to use their likenesses in its Sponsored Stories ads.
Do you consume any of your news content from Facebook or Instagram? Let us know in the comments!
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
3M issues recall for noise-reducing earmuffs due to potential breakage
April 30, 2024 | Product Recalls
