Quebec joins feds in suspending ads on Facebook, Instagram as Meta vows to block news
By The Canadian Press on July 5, 2023.
OTTAWA – Quebec Premier François Legault says the province is suspending advertising on Facebook and Instagram until Meta resumes talks about the implementation of the federal Online News Act. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez also announced earlier today that the federal government will pull ads off the platforms. The decision from both governments comes after Meta promised to block Canadian news content on its Facebook and Instagram platforms in response to Canada’s recently passed Online News Act. In a tweet this afternoon, Legault said the Quebec government is standing in solidarity with the media and that no company is above the law. Rodriguez blasted Meta for choosing not to negotiate with the federal government and instead blocking content for some users as part of a test. Google has also promised to start blocking Canadian news when the bill comes into force in six months, but Rodriguez says the government is in talks with the company and believes its concerns will be managed by the regulations that will come to implement the bill. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2023. – – – Meta funds a limited number of fellowships that support emerging journalists at The Canadian Press. 10-9
