Meta to test blocking news on Instagram and Facebook in anticipation of C-18 passing
By Andrew Kozak
As the Trudeau government’s controversial Online News Act, C-18, inches closer to becoming law, tech giant Meta is testing a new feature on its platforms that will block news content for many Canadians in a trial run that will last a month.
The announcement comes after the Head of public policy at Meta Canada Rachel Curran said the platform would be making a stand against Bill C-18, which would require social media platforms to pay Canadian media outlets for their content.
Meta says it is prepared to block news on Facebook and Instagram if Bill C-18 passes the Senate, which could come as early as later this month.
Curran told The Canadian Press that the first tests would affect anywhere from one to five percent of Canada’s 24 million users and would prevent them from viewing links to news articles, reels and stories.
Meta says it will randomly choose news outlets and notify them that some users in Canada will not be able to view or share their content during the testing period. Curran clarified that only users who reside in Canada will be affected.