Meta will block Canadian media, refusing to pay them

Facebook and Instagram will block access to posts from Canadian media outlets, their parent company Meta said in response to a just-passed law that forces internet giants to pay to carry local media content. “Today, we confirm that news content will no longer be available on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada,” Meta said in a statement, noting that it had warned “repeatedly” that this action would be taken.

“If the government cannot defend Canadians against the giants of the web, who will?” Reacted the Minister of Heritage Pablo Rodriguez. Facebook had “no obligation” to cut off this access, as the law had not yet formally entered into force, he added. The minister's office also stressed that he had "met with Facebook and Google this week" and remained open to further discussions.

The new law requires digital giants to enter into fair trade agreements with Canadian media for publications shared on their platforms, or risk having to resort to binding arbitration. Last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed Meta for blocking some Canadians' access to online information during tests, saying the company was 'deeply irresponsible and out of touch' by refusing to pay journalists for their work. . His opposition to the bill, he said, is "wrong (and) dangerous to our democracy and our economy."

In recent months, Meta and Google have said they are testing a small portion of the Canadian population, restricting their access to news sites. The new law, strongly criticized by the two giants of Silicon Valley, aims to support the information sector in Canada which, according to the minister, is “in crisis”.

Google spokeswoman Jenn Crider said the company is "doing everything to avoid an outcome that no one wants" and is seeking to work with the government "to move forward". The web giant has proposed amendments to the text but Jenn Crider said Thursday that “so far, none of our concerns have been taken into account”. More than 450 Canadian news outlets have closed since 2008, according to the Department of Heritage.

This bill is inspired by the one adopted in 2021 by Australia, the first of its kind in the world. The text was easily adopted after Facebook and Google reached agreements to avoid being subject to binding arbitration. Faced with the same situation, the European Union introduced in 2019 a "neighboring right" which should allow the remuneration of press publishers for the content used by online platforms. After reluctantly, Google signed agreements with French newspapers in November, a world first. AFP signed an agreement with Google at the end of 2021 which remunerates the agency for five years for its content presented by the American giant, as well as two commercial contracts, also for a period of five years.