Meta to restrict news in Canada

 

Facebook's parent company, Meta, will pull news on its platforms in Canada in response to new legislation passed by the Canadian government.  As a result, Canadians will no longer be able to share news content on Facebook and Instagram. Google opposes the law, deeming it unworkable, and warns that it may limit news links for Canadian users, as it did in a test run in February. The new law, approved by Canada's Parliament on Thursday, requires digital companies to pay domestic news publishers for stories that appear on their respective tech platforms. Under the Online News Act, tech companies will need to broker compensation agreements with news organizations, and if negotiations fail, binding arbitration will determine the appropriate compensation. It aims to address the news industry's shrinking ad revenue as media has shifted to the digital realm. The law will be enforced six months after receiving royal assent. Meta's response mirrors its actions in Australia, where it initially blocked news content in 2021 but later reached a deal with Australian news outlets. California is also considering similar legislation.