Скачать или смотреть Ottawa stops ads on Facebook, Instagram as Meta promises to block news

Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, says the federal government will suspend advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta’s decision comes after Canada’s recently passed Online News Act, which requires tech giants to pay news outlets for content they share or otherwise repurpose on their platforms.

However, Meta was already blocking content for some users before the bill passed as part of a test.

Rodriguez says Meta’s latest decision is “unreasonable” and “irresponsible” and as a result Canada will stop advertising on their platforms.

Google has also said they will start blocking Canadian news when the bill comes into force in six months.

Rodriguez says the government is in conversation with the company and that their concerns will be dealt with by the regulations that will come to implement the bill.

Rodriguez was at a press conference on Wednesday with MPs from the Bloc Quebecois and NDP, who both supported the legislation.