Metatests are blocking news content for some Canadian users in response to the Liberals’ online news law

Meta has begun a test temporarily blocking access to news content for some Canadian users on its Facebook and Instagram platforms in response to the Liberal government’s Online News Act, and Canadian publishers aren’t happy.

the law, Account C-18would require digital giants such as Google and Meta to pay Canadian news organizations if they link to those platforms or otherwise publish news content.

The bill was read for a third time in the Senate on 15 June and a notice was sent to the House of Commons the same day. The Liberals have said they want the bill to pass into law before the summer break, by the end of the week ending June 23.

In a tweet on June 13, Chris Dell, editor of ChrisD.ca, a Winnipeg-based online news platform, said, “Unfortunately, our audience is among the 5% of Canadian Facebook and Instagram users whose Meta is blocking news in response to Bill C-18, the Online News Act. Google is testing a similar measure.”

In a statement released the same day, Dell said readers had reported being unable to access content posted to Facebook by his outfit.

“It seems that Meta is blocking some of our content, but not all of it,” Dell said.

“As a small local news station, most of our traffic comes from Facebook and Google. I hope that an amicable settlement can be reached between Silicon Valley and Ottawa that does not involve the publishers,” said Dell.

Google had conducted a similar test earlier this year to block news links for some Canadian users in response to the controversial bill.

Quebec Newspapers Blocked

Another news publisher, Paul Deegan, president of News Media Canada, said some newspapers in Quebec are also being blocked on Facebook during Meta’s testing, as the platform abuses its dominant position in the tech market.

“Meta has just exponentially increased the opportunities for bad actors, including hostile foreign governments, to sow the seeds of misinformation and disinformation that will ultimately undo the platform, erode its own shareholder value and undermine social cohesion,” it said. Deegan in a June statement. 13.

“Democratic governments, regulators, enforcement agencies, publishers, advertisers and people around the world who value a free and plural press should be deeply concerned,” he said.

Sébastien Menard, editor-in-chief of Le Journal de Québec, said his outlet’s news is also blocked from Facebook readers. News shared by Le Journal de Montréal and fellow Quebec-owned TVA Nouvelles is also reportedly blocked.

“We launched a campaign to invite our readers to come directly to our website instead of waiting for news to reach them through Facebook,” the publisher said. “If your social networks fail you with information, come to our news website,” the media outlet tells its readers.

Trudeau claims ‘bullying’

In response to news of some French-language media outlets and smaller local news agencies being blocked by Facebook, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this was “unacceptable” and suggested it was attacking democracy in Canada.

Trudeau said tech companies are making skyrocketing profits while “local journalism struggles to bring news to people in ways that matter locally.”

“Canadians need access to news. It is fundamental to their democracy. We are not going to tolerate Facebook bullying,” Trudeau told reporters on June 13.

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez also said that Meta is trying to intimidate the Canadian government.

“When a big tech company, regardless of size, amount of money and powerful lawyers they have, come here and tell us, ‘If you don’t do this or that, I’ll pull the plug. ‘ – that’s a threat and that is unacceptable,” he said on June 1.

“Canadians will not be intimidated by these tactics,” he said in a tweet that day.

Meta is testing for most of June to temporarily block news content, which will affect up to five percent of Canadians using its platforms. The company said it is working on an “effective production solution to end the availability of news in Canada” to comply with the law if it passes into law.

Meta did not respond in time to a question from The Epoch Times.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.