Meta and Google's move away from linking to Canadian news sites is a “moment of reckoning” for publishers and broadcasters that have heavily relied on social media to build audiences, marketing and journalism experts say.
They believe the Online News Act, which will force digital giants to pay media outlets for content they share or repurpose on their platforms when it comes into effect later this year, could spark new discussions about how publishers market themselves and engage with audiences.
Some users, including CBC News editor in chief Brodie Fenlon, have said they've already seen posts from Canadian news brands disappear from Meta's Instagram and Facebook platforms, potentially narrowing the company's reach.In response to such moves, Bell Media brands including CTV and BNN Bloomberg issued Instagram statements recommending people seeking their news look directly on their websites or visit their apps. CBC News prodded readers to make a similar move earlier this week.
The federal government, as well as the province of Quebec and the City of Montreal, also said they plan to end advertising on Meta platforms. The Canadian Media Concentration Research Project found Google and Facebook collectively accounted for 79 per cent of estimated $12.3 billion online advertising revenue in 2021 and over half of total advertising spending across all media.
Paul Deegan, the trade association's president and chief executive officer, said “both Google and Meta are important channels for reaching audiences.”
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