Canadian news platforms demand Facebook probe over news blockage

Canadian news groups on Tuesday urged the Canadian antitrust watchdog to look into Meta Platforms’ move to stop allowing journalism on its platforms.

“Through its decision to block news content from its digital platforms, Meta seeks to impair Canadian news organizations’ ability to compete effectively in the news publishing and online advertising markets,” news industry groups said in an application to Canada’s Competition Bureau.

The Facebook parent company was accused by the groups of exploiting its dominating position.

Along with public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada, industry groups journalism Media Canada and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters submitted the application, which requests the Competition Bureau to look into Meta and prevent it from stifling journalism.

In response to a rule mandating internet goliaths to pay for news stories, Meta began censoring news on its Facebook and Instagram platforms for all users in Canada last week.

The Online News Act of Canada, which is part of a global movement to demand digital companies pay for news, was passed into law in June but has not yet taken effect.

Users don’t visit Meta’s site for news, according to the company, and requiring it to charge for anything posted on its platforms would be unsustainable for its operations.

To enable news organizations to recover financial losses sustained in the years that Facebook and Alphabet-owned Google increased their market share of online advertising, Canada’s media sector had advocated for stronger control of internet companies. Google has also stated that by the time the regulations take effect, it will ban Canadian news.