Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, plans to begin testing a controversial measure in Canada that would involve block certain news for users of these platforms in the said country. This test is expected to affect approximately 5% of total Facebook and Instagram users in Canada.which means that these people will not be able to see or share the news published on these social networks.

This decision was made by Meta in response to the possibility of new online news legislation in Canada.. If this law is approved, Meta has made it clear that it will completely block all news content on Facebook and Instagram in the country. Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta, said: “We have made the difficult decision to If this flawed law is passed, we will have to end the availability of news content on Facebook and Instagram in Canada“.

The measure proposed by Meta sparked intense debate in Canada. Pablo Rodríguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, expressed his opinion on the matter by stating: “TAll we ask of Facebook is to negotiate fair deals with media outlets when they benefit from their work.“. The Canadian government seeks to ensure that digital platforms such as Facebook and Instagram adequately compensate media outlets for the use of their content.

It is important to emphasize that This measure is still in the testing phase and its final implementation will depend on the outcome and final decisions of Meta and the Canadian government.. The possibility of blocking news content in Canada if the new law is passed shows the impact regulation can have on social media and raises questions about the relationship between digital platforms and media in the modern era.

Australia

It is pertinent to mention that this is not the first time that Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has taken a similar stance regarding the regulation of information publishing on social media. Few years ago, The company faced a similar attempt in Australia to pass a law aimed at controlling how information was shared and distributed on digital platforms..

At this moment, Facebook has taken a strong stance and temporarily blocked access to news on its platform in Australia. This action generated a global debate about the power and responsibility of big tech companies versus traditional media.

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