OTTAWA: Facebook and Instagram will block access to Canadian media posts, their parent company Meta said in response to a law just passed that will force web giants to pay to distribute local media content.

“Today we confirm that news content will no longer be available to all users in Canada on Facebook and Instagram,” Meta said in a statement, noting that it had “repeatedly” warned that this action would be taken.

“If the government can’t defend Canadians against the giants of the internet, who will?” responded Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez. Facebook has “no obligation” to block this access as the law has not yet officially come into force, he added.

The minister’s office also stressed that he “met with Facebook and Google this week” and is open to further discussions.

The new law will oblige digital giants to enter into fair trade agreements with Canadian media for content shared on their platforms, or risk resorting to binding arbitration.

Last month Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed Meta for blocking some Canadians from accessing online information during tests, saying the company was “deeply irresponsible and out of touch” when it refused to pay journalists for their work.

His opposition to the bill was “wrong (and) dangerous for our democracy and our economy,” he said.

In recent months, Meta and Google have said they are testing a small portion of Canada’s population and restricting their access to news sites.

The new law, which has been sharply criticized by the two Silicon Valley giants, aims to support the information sector in Canada, which the minister says is “in crisis”.

Google spokeswoman Jenn Crider said the company was doing “whatever it takes to avoid an outcome that nobody wants” and was trying to work with the government “to move forward.”

The web giant has proposed changes to the text, but Ms Crider said on Thursday that “none of our concerns have been addressed so far”.

More than 450 Canadian news outlets have closed since 2008, according to the Department of Heritage.

This bill is inspired by legislation passed by Australia in 2021, the first of its kind in the world. The text was easily accepted after Facebook and Google reached an agreement to avoid binding arbitration.

Faced with the same situation, the European Union introduced a “neighbouring right” in 2019 to allow press publishers to be paid for the content used by online platforms.

After some time, Google signed agreements with French newspapers in November, a world first.

AFP signed an agreement with Google at the end of 2021 that provides the agency with five years of remuneration for its content presented by the American giant, as well as two commercial contracts, also for a period of five years.