As Meta tests news blocking in Canada, here are the first targets
Global News
Meta is running a test blocking news content on Facebook and Instagram for some users in response to a Liberal government bill that would require tech giants to pay publishers.
Some French-language media organizations and smaller local media outlets say they are being targeted by Meta after the digital giant restricted access to their content on Facebook and Instagram as part of its fight against the Liberal government’s online-news bill.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the move was “unacceptable” and he won’t put up with Facebook’s bullying or what he says is an attack on Canada’s democracy.
Chris Dell, news editor of ChrisD.ca, a Winnipeg-based digital news outfit, said some readers informed him Monday that they are no longer able to access content the outlet had posted on Facebook.
“It appears Meta is blocking some of our content, but not all of it,” Dell said in a statement on Tuesday.
He said it’s unfortunate that these measures are being taken in response to the proposed online news legislation, which would require tech giants to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing news content online.
“As a small local news outlet, the majority of our traffic comes from Facebook and Google. My hope is that an amicable agreement can be reached between Silicon Valley and Ottawa that doesn’t leave publishers caught in the middle,” Dell said.
Sebastien Menard, editor-in-chief of Le Journal de Quebec, said its news is also being blocked from readers who view its stories on Facebook. That also applies to news shared by fellow Quebecor-ownedproperties Le Journal de Montreal and TVA Nouvelles.
“We launched ourselves a campaign inviting our readers to come directly to our website instead of waiting for news to come to them through Facebook,” Menard said to The Canadian Press on Tuesday.
