Meta announces the upcoming launch of a test that will consist of blocking press articles on Facebook and Instagram. The group threatens to do this permanently to contest Bill C-18.

A blocking of articles in Canada

The C-18 bill aims to force platforms like Meta and Google to negotiate with Canadian news publishers to compensate them for their content. However, Facebook’s parent company said it would rather block news content in the country altogether than be forced to pay media companies.

The group written down :

As previously mentioned, if Bill C-18 – the Online News Act – is passed, content shared by news media, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to Facebook and Instagram users in Canada. As we prepare to comply with the legislation, today we are announcing the launch of tests on both platforms that will block certain users and publishers from viewing and sharing news content in Canada.

During the trial period, which will last several weeks, a small portion of Canadian users will be notified when attempting to share content from the articles. Meta adds:

News media continue to have access to their accounts and pages and can continue to post links and news content. However, some content may not be viewable in Canada. News media continue to have access to the Meta Business Suite and promotional tools. Users registered for the tests are eligible for a review process if they feel they fall outside the scope of the law.

A similar case in Australia

The meta-tests come just over two years after Australia blocked news content entirely in response to similar legislation. However, the lockdown has been criticized for its messy implementation and overly broad approach, which has impacted some government agencies and nonprofits, and was actually a clumsy negotiating tactic. Meta later lifted the ban after legislation was changed. The law was passed shortly afterwards.