It has been one year since internet company Meta – which owns the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram – blocked Canadian News content from its services. Meta chose to remove Canadian news rather than pay for it once the federal Online News Act took effect. The effect of Meta’s self-imposed boycott has been harmful to the journalism industry in Canada, harmful to Canadian society, and harmful to that company as well.
For years, Meta’s leadership argued that because it did not charge news outlets for use of its services, the company should not have to pay for Canadian news content on its platforms. However, over that same period of time, Meta’s platforms used that Canadian news content to deliver ads to viewers – thus making money off of content that Meta did not help pay to create. In short, Meta wanted to have its cake and welch on the bill. Other companies had this same business model – which is why Bill C-18, the Online News Act, was passed into law.
The bill was flawed legislation in many ways including how media companies are compensated by online companies. However, the legislation did codify that online companies had to pay for the news content they were using. Google has since signed an agreement to start paying for Canadian news content, yet Meta remains in the wilderness and unwilling to fairly compensate companies for the content it uses. One year later, this self-imposed exile has been harmful for all involved.
After years of using Facebook and Instagram to promote online news content, the removal of those tools has been devastating to media outlets which have been struggling with the digital transition for over a decade. Many outlets have seen their traffic cut in half. For companies already at the precipice of closure or restructuring, this has been the final straw. Some outlets have closed – leaving more news deserts in communities. But the health of the media industry is not the only issue.
Facebook is still the dominant social media platform in Canada with two-out-of-three Canadians having an account. Those using the social media giant now have no exposure to Canadian news content. To fill the content void on that platform, more illegitimate content sources are delivered to viewers – adding to the information deficit or vacuum in the country. Before clicking on the Facebook app, you should ask yourself if a company can decide what you can, and cannot view, are they acting with your best interest in mind, or theirs?
There are ways to counteract this like going directly to news outlets’ websites, turning on the TV, or buying a newspaper like The Leader. Relearning tried-and-true ways to get the news is the best way to bypass Meta and be more informed citizens.
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