Quebecor pulls ads from Facebook and Instagram after access to news ends

Telecom and media company Quebecor said Wednesday it will pull its ads from Facebook and Instagram following Meta Platforms’ decision to halt access to news on both social media platforms in Canada over a law requiring payments to local news publishers.

The Online News Act, or Bill C-18, was introduced last April and sets rules to force Alphabet-owned companies like Meta and Google to make commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content.

Google and Meta previously said they would block access to news articles in Canada if the legislation is passed. It was adopted last month.

Quebecor, which also owns media outlets and newspapers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about how much it spends on advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Canadian media industry has called for tighter regulation of internet giants to allow news companies to recoup the financial losses they suffered in the years when Facebook and Google captured a larger share of the online advertising market.