Ottawa. Meta Platforms said Thursday it would end access to news on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada after Parliament passed a law requiring internet giants to pay publishers for news.
The legislation, known as the “Online Information Act”, was approved by the upper house of the Senate early Thursday and is expected to be officially passed shortly.
“Today we are confirming that the availability of news on Facebook and Instagram will end for all users in Canada prior to the coming into force of the Online News Act,” the company said in a statement.
The legislation sets rules to force platforms such as Facebook and Google Alphabet to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content, a move similar to a groundbreaking law passed in Australia in 2021.
US tech companies claimed the proposals were not sustainable for their businesses.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Meta and Google were using “scary tactics” in their campaign against the legislation.
Google says the law is stricter than those enacted in Australia and Europe, and has proposed changes “to align with international standards” to address the company’s concerns.
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