Facebook and Instagram will soon no longer allow for the publishing and sharing of news content by Canadian users ahead of the Online News Act (Bill C-18) taking effect, Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:FB), the parent company of the two social media networks reaffirmed on Thursday.
Bill C-18, which received royal assent Thursday, would require tech companies like Meta to pay news outlets for their use of journalism content.
“Today, we are confirming that news availability will be ended on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada prior to the Online News Act (Bill C-18) taking effect,” the company said in a statement on Thursday.
“We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18, passed today in Parliament, content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada.”
Earlier this month, when it first warned that it would pull news content in response to Bill C-18, Meta began testing the removal of news content for a small percentage of Canadian users. The tests are ongoing.
The changes impacting news content will not otherwise impact Meta’s products and services in Canada, the company noted.
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