The parent of Facebook Inc plans to end access to news on the social network and Instagram for all users in Canada once parliament-approved legislation requiring internet giants to pay news publishers comes into effect. The company said on Thursday that it would also stop repackaging news articles from local sources in its search results for Canadian users. The legislation, known as the Online News Act, was approved by the Senate upper chamber earlier on Thursday and will become law after receiving royal assent from the governor general, a formality.
The bill outlines rules to force companies like Meta and Alphabet Inc’s Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content, similar to a ground-breaking law passed in Australia in 2021 that prompted companies to restrict access to their sites temporarily. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission will be responsible for enforcing the new law, which can be used to enforce fines or other sanctions against digital giants that refuse to comply.
Tech companies have argued that the legislation will lead to higher prices for consumers and force them to cut back on investment in journalism. But the bill’s supporters, including large Canadian media companies and the Liberal government, say it will level the playing field for journalism that competes with tech firms for advertising dollars.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Meta and Google of using “bully tactics” in their campaign to fight the law. He said the companies would see their threats fail. “If you don’t have people paying for your product, then eventually no one will,” he told reporters visiting Quebec.
Facebook’s move to end news access for Canadians follows a warning from Google that it could remove its links from search results in the country. The government has dismissed those fears as scare tactics, saying it will work with the companies on implementing the new law after it receives royal assent.
The company’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, is facing calls to appear before a House of Commons committee as part of a probe into the influence of foreign money on political parties and other activities in the country. A committee could call him to testify about whether he misled lawmakers over his firm’s role in spreading fake news and other propaganda during last year’s election.
Mr. Zuckerberg has already refused to comply with a summons to appear before a Senate committee in the United States, arguing that doing so would jeopardize his family’s security. He has also declined to appear before a British parliament committee considering the same issue. On Thursday, the Canadian government offered to hold talks with both companies, a spokesman for the heritage minister said. “If we can’t stand up for the rights of Canadians against these technology giants, who will?” the spokesman added. Mr. Rodriguez’s office said he had held talks with both Google and Meta this week and will continue to hold discussions with them, including a meeting scheduled for later on Thursday.
