A group of Canadian news publishers and broadcasters are calling on Canada's Competition Bureau to investigate and prohibit Meta from blocking news content on its digital platforms. (Photo: Canadian Press)

By Canadian Press

News publishers, broadcasters call for investigation into Meta’s news blocking

Aug 8, 2023 | 6:44 AM

OTTAWA, ON – A group of Canadian news publishers and broadcasters are calling on Canada’s Competition Bureau to investigate and prohibit Meta from blocking news content on its digital platforms.

Social media giant Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has said it will begin blocking news on its platforms in Canada starting today after the Canadian government passed a bill forcing Google and Meta to pay publishers for content they link to or repurpose.

News Media Canada, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and CBC say in a joint statement they have filed a request to the Competition Bureau to investigate Meta’s “abuse of its dominant position.”

They say the practices of the social media giant are “anticompetitive” as they will prevent Canadian news companies from accessing the advertising market and significantly reduce their visibility to Canadians on social media platforms.

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The news publishers and broadcasters say they are calling on the Competition Bureau to use its prosecutorial tools to prohibit Meta from blocking Canadians’ access to news content.

Meta had previously been blocking news content for some users in Canada but the move is set to extend to all Canadians today, which means Canadians will no longer be able to view or post news on Facebook or Instagram and news organizations will start to see their stories blocked on those platforms.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2023.

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