Image: Meta
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, will soon start testing a feature that will prevent some Canadians from viewing or sharing news content on those platforms. The company said it is preparing for the possible passage of Bill C-18, the Online News Act, which would require online platforms to pay Canadian news outlets for linking to their content.
The federal government said the bill aims to create a fairer relationship between news outlets and digital platforms that dominate the online advertising market.
Meta’s move follows Google’s earlier test that filtered out some Canadian and international news content for some of its users in Canada. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said he rejects Meta’s “threat” and will not back down from the bill.
The test will last for “several weeks” and will affect one to five percent of Canadian Facebook and Instagram users who will be randomly selected. They will be notified if they try to share news content that matches the criteria of the bill for an “eligible news business.” Those are outlets that have been certified as “qualified Canadian journalism organizations,” and that produce “news content of public interest.” They should also have at least two journalists in Canada and operate in Canada.
Meta said that some international news publishers that have a presence in Canada could also be affected by the test, such as The New York Times or the BBC.
The test will not remove the profiles or posts of news pages in Canada, but it will limit who can see or share their content. Meta said it would provide a review process for outlets that think they should not be included in the test.
The government says the web giants benefit from the news content and act as “gatekeepers” that control the online market. It also criticizes Meta and Google for restricting news content online in other countries that have similar laws, such as Australia. It says that could lead to more misinformation online.
Meta and Google assert that news content is a small part of their platforms and revenue. They say they help news outlets by sending them traffic and revenue. Meta opposes the bill and wants to see some changes. It says this test is in preparation for the possible passage of Bill C-18 as it is.