Meta says it may remove news content from Facebook and Instagram in California if the state passes a bill that would force tech companies to pay a fee for news. The company made a similar threat over U.S. federal legislation attempted last year and is now blocking some news content in Canada as part of a test over a similar proposal. California's Journalism Preservation Act would require digital companies to pay a journalism usage fee to news publishers, with 70% of the profits dedicated to journalism jobs in the state. - While the bill aims to support the struggling local news industry, a Meta claims that it benefits out-of-state media companies instead of California publishers.
- A spokesperson, Andy Stone, argued that publishers voluntarily share their content on their platforms, and the consolidation in California's local news industry predates Facebook's widespread use.
- California State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, the bill's sponsor, dismissed Meta's threat as a scare tactic that has failed in other countries.
In 2021, Australia passed a similar law that resulted in a brief shutdown of Facebook's news feeds in the country. - Eventually, agreements were reached after amendments were made to the legislation. A government report later confirmed the law's effectiveness.
- On Thursday, Meta announced plans to test blocking news content for a small percentage of users in Canada in response to the proposed Online News Act, which is similar to California's proposed legislation.
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