The British Columbia government has stopped advertising on Facebook and Instagram to send a message to parent company Meta, which is blocking Canadian news from social media platforms.
Prime Minister David Eby said in a statement that Meta’s decision to block access to information for many people in British Columbia who use social media sites was “unacceptable”.
Meta recently announced it would be blocking Canadian news on its platforms in response to the new federal online news law that went into effect on June 22, 2023.
The law, expected to come into force within six months, will force the biggest digital platforms, including Meta and Google, to negotiate with Canadian news companies and pay for the use of their content.
Mr Eby’s statement said the province wanted to send a clear message to Meta that journalism is a vital public service and that access to information must not be blocked.
The statement said BC will only advertise on Meta to provide the public with important information related to public health and safety emergencies, including information about wildfires.
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