Canadians would no longer be able to access news on Facebook or Instagram if the federal government's proposed Online News Act passes in its current form, the parent company behind the two popular social media platforms said.
Meta spokesperson Lisa Laventure shared the decision in an email on Saturday, saying the bill's current provisions would place the company in an untenable position.
Large Canadian media companies and the federal Liberal government have supported the bill, saying it would level the playing field for news outlets that compete with tech firms for advertising dollars. Facebook has been floating the potential to block news access in Canada for many months as Bill C-18 wound through parliament.
"We have repeatedly shared with the government that news content is not a draw for our users and is not a significant source of revenue for our company," he said. "All Facebook has done up to this point is show up at committee, delay, obstruct, refuse to answer questions, and threaten Canadians," he said.Google recently began a five-week test that limited access to news for some Canadian users. It is set to end March 16.
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