Meta is not very happy with Canada right now. Following Canada’s passage of the Online News Act, known as C-18 , Meta is cutting Canadian users’ access to news on Facebook and Instagram. In other words, Canadians will have to get their news from somewhere other than social media. The Online News Act requires sites like Facebook and Instagram to pay publishersof news if they play their content. Meta has not been a fan of this law from the beginning and she has opposed its passage, threatening to cut Canadians’ access to news on her platforms. It seems that the company will now go down this path. In short, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram doesn’t want to pay news outlets any more money, and Canadians will suffer a slight inconvenience by going straight to the source to get their news. Companies like Meta have often been accused of non-bias in the news that is disseminated on its platforms; so, it’s possible this doesn’t hurt Canada as much as Meta seems to think.

Social Media Law in Canada: Shutdowns, Reactions and Future Impacts

Meta has published a statement on its website to follow up on the threat and added that the blackout will not affect other functions of the platform. While it is true that many people get their news from social media sites like Facebook, it is also true that there is debate as to whether this is actually a good thing. Canada’s passage of this law could lead to similar legislation from other countries in the future, but that remains to be seen. It will be interesting to understand how much the Canadian population actually cares about having their access to news from social media cut off. In the end, the law was passed mainly to favor local journalism and independent outlets, which has been universally agreed upon since it was passed. Facebook, or rather Meta, believes this payment arrangement is “unworkable”.

Canada-Meta fight: Trudeau accuses Zuckerberg ‘s company of practicing ‘bullying tactics’  

When Australia tried to pass journalism laws a couple of years ago that Meta didn’t care about, the company responded by cutting access to news on Facebook and Instagram to around 17 million users. Meta brought services back online after the Australian government agreed to ease the law to benefit Meta and Google. However, it appears that Canada will try to defend its position, as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused the tech giant of ” bullying tactics“. Similar laws are also under discussion in the United States, and Meta has even threatened to cut off access to news on Facebook and Instagram in California. It will be interesting to see how these bills play out and whether Canada is able to stand up to these huge tech companies.