Major search and social platforms are playing catch-up in response to Canada’s Online News Act.
In a show of force, Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, Canadian users blocked no news content on Instagram.
The controversial legislation aims to force tech companies like Google and Facebook to offer fair compensation to news publishers for using their content.
Google and Meta claim the law is unworkable and amounts to a “tax on Internet links.”
The Government of Canada expected a compromise
The Canadian government likely hoped the threat of regulation would bring tech companies to the negotiating table.
However, Meta is calling the government’s bluff by blocking access to news rather than complying with laws it deems unfair.
Google also plans to remove news, stories and more links for Canadians from Search, Google News and Discover.
For news publishers struggling in the digital age, the loss of traffic and visibility from these dominant platforms could be damaging.
The Canadian government argues that the law is needed to support independent journalism. In a statementHeritage Minister Pablo Rodríguez called Meta’s actions “unreasonable” and “irresponsible”.
While discussions with Google are ongoing, Rodriguez suspended all government advertising on Facebook and Instagram.
Support journalism or the Internet?
There are reasonable arguments on both sides. News publishers deserve support and fair compensation for the value they bring to platforms. However, regulating links and Internet fragments requires a lot of work to implement and enforce.
For SEO and content professionals, this conflict between sectors highlights the power dynamics in today’s attention economy.
News publishers have no choice but to appear on major social platforms, even when companies like Facebook change algorithms and policies with little notice.
This situation highlights the need to diversify income and distribution to reduce dependence on any one company.
While traffic and subscriptions from Google and social media remain essential, publishers will benefit from strengthening direct relationships with readers and exploring alternative business models.
The Online News Act is Canada’s attempt to give more influence to the media, but tech companies seem poised to hold their own.
looking ahead
The next few months will be crucial as Canada works to finalize and enforce regulations that prevent news links from leaving search and social media.
There are no easy answers to balancing support for journalism with an open Internet. But for Canadians, the possibility of losing access to news on the web’s most prominent platforms highlights the influence they have ceded to Meta and Google.
Featured Image: Kittyfly/Shutterstock
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