Rodriguez leaves the door open to regulating Meta’s new social media platform Threads
OTTAWA — Canada’s heritage minister says he’s leaving the door open to regulating new social media platform Threads under a bill that would force Google and Meta to pay publishers for content they link to or reuse.
Pablo Rodriguez says he’s looking at how Meta’s new social network might fit into the regulations enacted by the Online News Act, but he won’t have a better idea until the details surrounding its implementation are worked out.
The text and image platform has amassed at least 100 million users since it came into being last week amid rising tensions between its parent company and the federal government over compensation for media companies.
In response to the Online News Act, Meta has pledged to block access to news from Canadian publishers on its platforms.
Rodriguez says he is “deeply disappointed” by Facebook’s stance, which he called “irresponsible.”
He is more pleased with Google, which has also said it will block news from Canadian publishers, but has remained in talks with the government about what Big Tech regulation might look like.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 12, 2023.
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Meta funds a limited number of grants that support emerging journalists at The Canadian Press.
