Users in Canada cannot access news and broadcast content through Facebook and Instagram
In the wake of Canada’s government passing a new online news bill that levies news usage fees on tech firms like Google and Meta, ostensibly to preserve fairness for news publishers, Meta promptly retorted that users in Canada would no longer be able to access local news and broadcast content via services like Facebook and Instagram.
This isn’t Meta’s first such maneuver; when the Australian government ratified a new news bill in 2021, Meta quickly barred access to local news and broad-spectrum content via services like Facebook, in a bid to circumvent disrupting its operational model.
Moreover, regarding the proposal by US Congress members at the end of last year to list the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act as an obligatory pass, Meta indicated that if this legislation was officially enacted, they would consider excising news content from platforms like Facebook.
Google, however, has yet to follow suit and emphasized that it had proposed feasible solutions prior to the passage of the related legislation, to which the Canadian government has not responded. Google maintains that it continues to communicate with government officials.
Prior to this, Google had already collaborated with local government entities in many areas, assisting news publishers to amplify their content reach through its services via local investments. This not only enables news publishers to optimize traffic monetization but also facilitates user access to news via convenient online services.
Nevertheless, many opinions suggest that even as tech companies like Google and Meta underline their support in enhancing the visibility of news content, in reality, many people cease to engage with the link after viewing the news headline and thumbnail, showing a greater interest in other shared content on social media platforms. Consequently, the emphasis placed by tech companies on achieving traffic-driving effects through their platforms is perceived as lackluster.
