Meta has announced that it will block access to news on Facebook and Instagram in Canada after the country passed a new law forcing digital platforms to pay content fees to domestic media.
The announcement by Meta came shortly after Canada’s Senate passed the “Online News Act,” which forces companies like Facebook and Google to pay fees to media outlets when their content is posted, linked to, or otherwise repurposed on the platforms.
Meta said that it would end the availability of news on its platforms even before the bill becomes law in about six months.
“We are confirming that news availability will be ended on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada prior to the Online News Act (Bill C-18) taking effect,” Meta said in a statement….