Canadians will no longer have access to news content on Facebook and Instagram, Meta says
CBC
The social media giant Meta has confirmed that it will end access to news on its social media sites for all Canadian users before Bill C-18, the Online News Act, comes into force.
The tech company made the announcement Thursday, the day after Parliament passed Bill C-18. The law will force tech giants like Meta and Google to pay news outlets for posting their journalism on their platforms.
Meta said it will begin to block news for Canadian users over the next few months and the change will not be immediate.
"We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18 … content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada," said Meta in a media statement.
The bill is awaiting royal assent after passing both the House and the Senate. Once it receives assent, it should take six months to come into force.
In response to Meta's announcement, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said in a media statement that following royal assent of Bill C-18, the federal government will engage in a "regulatory and implementation process."
He said Meta currently has no obligations under the Act.
"If the government can't stand up for Canadians against tech giants, who will?" said Rodriguez.
A spokesperson for the minister said his office had meetings with Facebook and Google this week.
"We look forward to further discussions with the platforms," they said.
Meta first threatened to end access to news content for Canadian users of Facebook and Instagram earlier this month, in response to the looming passage of Bill C-18.
The company said it was conducting tests on ending news access for a small percentage of Canadians. Between one and five per cent of the 24 million Canadians that use Facebook or Instagram were said to be affected.
Meta said this test is still ongoing.
"The changes affecting news content will not otherwise impact Meta's products and services in Canada," the company said.
The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation had a 24 per cent increase in thefts across all retail stores in the province during the first quarter of 2025, according to numbers provided by the Crown corporation.
Nine years old might seem too early to retire but for Marielle the poodle — New Brunswick's first court service dog — that's 63 in human years.
Toronto police are investigating after Jewish prayer scrolls were removed from three condos in North York on Thursday.
Scott Gillingham is entering an election year. Wab Kinew has another full year to prove he can govern effectively before he faces voters as well.
A 23-year-old single mother from Prince Albert says she has been living in pain from her wisdom teeth for more than three years.
Doreen Freeland used to be what's known as a “land girl” in Britain during the Second World War. She was one of thousands of women recruited to work in orchards and on farms to help keep food production going while men went off to fight.
According to McMaster researchers on aging, walking speed could be considered a vital sign of sorts for seniors.
The Windsor Public Library’s most-borrowed books of 2025 reflect the growing popularity of celebrity book clubs and a growing interest in “romantacy,” according to one public service librarian there.
An election, a Blue Jays World Series run and a plane crash.
Summer clothes. Shoes for children. Baby diapers.
For Islanders looking to get outside more this winter, trail groups say the colder months are actually one of the best times of year to explore Prince Edward Island’s outdoor spaces.
Updates to the air passenger bill of rights appear stuck on the tarmac more than two years after the federal government promised changes — something that may come as unwelcome news for Canadian air travellers facing their own delays.
This First Person article is the experience of Kristine Thoreson, who lives in Calgary. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.