Canadian news is starting to disappear from Instagram. Google is next. Here’s how to find CBC while that’s happening

We use this editor’s blog to explain our journalism and what’s happening at CBC News. You can find more blogs here.

On Monday, I got a personal taste of what a future without Canadian news on social media and search engines looks like.

I had the raised CBC News Instagram account on my phone. With over 662,000 followers, our main news account offers a daily assortment of posts, video journalism, explanations and robust conversation in the comments. It reaches a younger audience that is important to us and, based on the activity we see there, is just as interested in independent, fact-based journalism as any other age group we serve.

When I opened the Instagram app, I caught a glimpse of recent stories we’d published on the social media platform, which is owned by Meta, the company that’s also behind Facebook. The top posts included a video documentation how a group of high school students built a wheelchair-friendly lawnmower and gifted it to a man in Windsor, Ontario, and a post story in the largest graduating class ever at the only school in Pikangikum First Nation. Each had thousands of likes.

And then it all disappeared.

The screen flashed white.

Gone were over 6,700 posts from the past few years, thousands of likes, comments and thumbnails, replaced by a message that reads, “People in Canada can’t see this content. In response to Canadian government law, news content may not be viewed inCanada.”

A “more information” link took me to a page that explained: “You will no longer be able to see content from news outlet accounts, even if you have previously followed or searched for them. You will no longer be able to share or view news links on Instagram via stories or Profile Bio links, including news links from all news outlet accounts.”

This Instagram ban from CBC News content on Monday wasn’t universal, but we heard from other people who had the same experience as me wondering what was going on. I suspect I am one of them up to five percent of Canadian users Meta has indicated that it cannot access news content in ongoing tests that began last month.

A taste of things to come

It’s a glimpse of what to expect in the future if Facebook’s parent company and Google heed to threats to remove Canadian news from their platforms in retaliation for Bill C-18the federal online news law that will force these platforms to make financial agreements with news media outlets for “fair compensation” – still undefined – when news content appears there.

In Google’s case, the California-based company says it will remove news links for Canadians from its search, news and discovery products when the law goes into effect, which is expected in December. As the world’s largest search engine, Google’s removal of Canadian News would have a significant impact on both users and news publishers.

The Instagram ban I experienced this week suggests that Meta can block anything produced by Canadian news organizations and posted on their platforms – not just news links, but original content created specifically for Instagram, such as photos and video.

So why is this happening?

Critics, including Meta and Google, say Bill C-18 is unfair and unworkable and amounts to a tax on the links, with no recognition of the traffic or “free marketing” the tech companies provide to news publishers.

The Canadian government and supporting news organizations insist the legislation will ensure fair compensation for “tech giants” who they say have built social media audiences based on their content and then funneled away most of the digital ad revenue they serve. they charge for journalism.

(For the record, CBC/Radio-Canada’s corporate position is that the Online News Act will help level the playing field and contribute to a healthy news ecosystem in Canada “at a time when 80 percent of digital ad revenue goes to Facebook and Google is going,” said spokesman Leon Mar.)

Some industry watchers see the tech companies as international taking an aggressive stance in Canada shot across the bow — a warning to other jurisdictions considering similar initiatives, following an earlier one confrontation with the Australian government.

This is a very active story that CBC News covers – even though public broadcasting is one of the players affected by the new law and the industry’s response to it. Our journalists will continue to cover the story as we do any other story that has direct implications for CBC/Radio-Canada: accurate, balanced, fair and impartial.

How to find CBC News coverage

Nevertheless, we know that large numbers of Canadians rely on Google and Meta to discover our coverage. If those sources suddenly cut off access to our news, as Meta did to some Instagram users this week, we want to make sure Canadians know where to find our journalism elsewhere.

Here’s a list of other sources from CBC News, followed by a local news directory operated by CBC/Radio-Canada that allows you to search for other news providers in your community.

• Download the free CBC News app on iOS or Android.

• Visit CBCNews.ca for stories, video, audio programs, TV news and programs. Find more on the CBC Radio website.

• Watch content from CBC News including local newscasts, The National, The Fifth Estate, Marketplace and CBC News Explore at CBC gem. CBC Gem is also available as a free app at iOS, AndroidApple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, via Chromecast and Xbox.

• Watch local newscasts, our investigative programs and The National on CBC TV.

• Watch CBC News Network through your television subscription or on CBC Avg.

• Listen to our news programs, including local and national radio news, current affairs programs and podcasts, live or on demand, on CBC Listen. Download the free Listen app on iOS or here for android.

• Listen to our news and current affairs programs on CBC Radio One in your municipality.

• Listen to our podcasts, news and current affairs programs by calling them by name on your voice activated speaker, including Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Our best audio news programs include World report, The world this hour, The world at six, The world this weekend, Front burner, The current And As it happens. You can also find many of these programs on audio and podcast apps such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts and TuneIn.

• Sign up for one of ours email newsletters here: our daily CBC News Morning Brief is our most popular newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning. Mind your own business delves into the world of economics, business and finance with analysis by senior business correspondent Peter Armstrong. Minority Report is a weekly guide to federal politics. What on earth is about the environment. Second opinion delivers the latest news in health and medicine. The Royal wizard is about all things royal. The Marketplace watchdog offers consumer news and tips. The Fifth Estate dives into our investigative journalism. Subway matters is a weekly dive into the politics of Metro Vancouver. Your Calgary Weekly summarizes the latest stories and events. CBC Ottawa The highlight aims to “brighten your day with stories beyond the news.” CBC east coast: all inclusive is a monthly newsletter with interesting stories from the Atlantic provinces.

• Check out our new streaming channel CBC News Explore at Roku TV, Samsung TVPlus, CBC gemon the CBC News app or here on our website.

• Watch our many programs, clips and interviews on our YouTube channels: CBC news, The national, The Fifth Estate, CBCNL, CBC Nova Scotia, CBS Windsor, CBC Saskatchewan, CBC Manitoba, CBC Vancouver, CBC North And CBC Kids News.

• Here’s a list of them all CBC/Radio-Canada platforms and services in English and French.

You can also search the CBC/Radio-Canada local news directory for private news broadcasts in your community. Find names and direct links here.

Wide access to independent, fact-based journalism is a pillar of any healthy democracy, and we strive to be everywhere people look for news.

If third-party platforms independently decide to exit the news business for any reason, rest assured that we will help you find our journalism and make it as easily accessible to you as possible.