The federal government will stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez announced Wednesday, as tensions rise between the Canadian government and tech giants.
The decision came after Meta promised to block Canadian news content on its Facebook and Instagram platforms in response to CanadaB次元官网网址檚 recently passed Online B次元官网网址 Act.
The new law will require tech giants pay media outlets for content they share or otherwise repurpose on their platforms.
Rodriguez blasted Meta for choosing not to negotiate with the federal government and instead blocking content for some users as part of a test.
B次元官网网址淔acebook has decided to be unreasonable, irresponsible, and started blocking news. This is why today, we are announcing the government of Canada will be suspending advertising on Facebook and Instagram,B次元官网网址� Rodriguez said.
He said the federal government spends about $10 million in advertisements on the platforms, which he said will be reinvested in other ad campaigns.
Google has also promised to start blocking Canadian news when the bill comes into force in six months, but Rodriguez said the government is in talks with the company and believes its concerns will be managed by the regulations that will come to implement the bill.
B次元官网网址淭oday, weB次元官网网址檙e calling on both platforms to stay at the table, work through the regulatory process with us, contribute their fair share and keep news on their platform,B次元官网网址� Rodriguez said.
The bill will come into force in just under six months, giving the federal government time to decide on how it will proceed with regulations.
MPs from the Bloc Qu茅b茅cois and the NDP, which both backed the legislation, joined the Liberal minister at a press conference on Wednesday.
B次元官网网址淭he web giants need to respect Canadian law. They need to respect Canadian democracy. And that is the the profound message that we are sending today to Meta and Google,B次元官网网址� said NDP MP Peter Julian.
Media companies have also begun pulling advertising from some social media platforms and telling readers and viewers how to access news directly.
B次元官网网址 and telecommunications company Quebecor Inc. announced Wednesday it would immediately withdraw advertising from MetaB次元官网网址檚 Facebook and Instagram platforms.
B次元官网网址淎ny move by Meta to circumvent Canadian law, block news for its users or discriminate against Canadian media content on its platforms, through its algorithms or otherwise, cannot be tolerated,B次元官网网址� Quebecor said in a press release.
Quebecor said it is pulling ads from Meta because of the companyB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渃ategorical refusalB次元官网网址� to enter into negotiations around compensating media companies.
Quebecor owns telecommunications company B次元官网网址tron as well as TVA Group, which includes the TVA television network, specialty channels and magazines. It also owns the Journal de Montreal and Journal de Quebec newspapers.
In addition to posting content on MetaB次元官网网址檚 platforms, it has sometimes bought ads on Facebook and Instagram.
For example, the Facebook ads library linked to QuebecorB次元官网网址檚 TVA Nouvelles showed the brand had bought ads showcasing its 2022 election coverage, while Le Journal de Qu茅bec recently ran an ad with Tourisme Isle-aux-Coudres.
Hours after Quebecor announced it would pull its Meta ads, Quebec Premier Fran莽ois Legault said that B次元官网网址渨hat we had hoped for is that these platforms pay the media companiesB次元官网网址� that develop news.
B次元官网网址淣ow, they decided to remove the content. Now, our responsibility is to continue these negotiations,B次元官网网址� he said in Quebec City.
B次元官网网址淲e have to recognize where Quebecers are, where Quebecers get their news. ItB次元官网网址檚 a new reality but we havenB次元官网网址檛 reached the step of boycotting, not yet.B次元官网网址�
Before Legault spoke, CBC B次元官网网址B次元官网网址檚 editor-in-chief, Brodie Fenlon, released an article describing how he was unable to see posts on the brandB次元官网网址檚 Instagram page, which now has a note saying the content is being blocked B次元官网网址渋n response to Canadian government legislation. B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淣onetheless, we know large numbers of Canadians rely on Google and Meta to discover our news coverage,B次元官网网址� Fenlon wrote.
B次元官网网址淚f those sources suddenly cut off access to our news, as Meta did for some Instagram users this week, then we want to ensure Canadians know where to go to find our journalism elsewhere.B次元官网网址�
He then listed a variety of ways CBC content could be accessed independent of Meta and Google, including on the companyB次元官网网址檚 news and streaming apps, websites, televisions, radios, newsletters, YouTube and voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
B次元官网网址淲ide access to independent fact-based journalism is a pillar of any healthy democracy and we aim to be anywhere people are looking for news,B次元官网网址� Fenlon wrote.
B次元官网网址淚f third-party platforms independently decide to get out of the news business, for whatever reason, rest assured we will help you find our journalism and make it as easily accessible to you as possible.B次元官网网址�
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