By Canadian Press

Local news, Quebec publishers first targets of Facebook’s block on Canadian news

Jun 13, 2023 | 8:39 AM

OTTAWA — Meta has started blocking news for some Canadians on its Facebook and Instagram platforms in response to a Liberal government bill that is currently being studied in the Senate.

Chris Dell, news editor of Chris.D.ca, a Winnipeg-based digital news outfit, says some readers informed him Monday that they are no longer able to access content the outlet had posted on Facebook.

He says it’s unfortunate that these measures are being taken in response to the Online News Act, which would require tech giants to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing news content.

Dell says the majority of his small local news site’s traffic comes from Facebook and Google, and he hopes Ottawa and Silicon Valley can reach an agreement that doesn’t leave publishers caught in the middle. 

Meta is running a test for the majority of the month that will temporarily block news content for up to five per cent of its Canadian users, and the company says it is working towards an “effective product solution to end news availability in Canada” so as to comply with Bill C-18 if it becomes law.

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Paul Deegan, president of News Media Canada, says some Quebec newspapers are also being blocked on Facebook during the test, which he believes is an abuse of Meta’s dominant position in the marketplace.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2023. 

The Canadian Press