By Canadian Press

CP NewsAlert: Meta will test blocking news on Instagram, Facebook for some Canadians

Jun 1, 2023 | 7:06 PM

OTTAWA — Meta is planning to run a test that will block news for some Canadian users on Facebook and Instagram in response to the Liberal government’s controversial online news bill.

If passed in the Senate, Bill C-18 would force tech companies to pay Canadian media outlets for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online.

Meta is preparing to block news for some Canadians on Facebook and Instagram in a temporary test that is expected to last the majority of the month.

The company says it wants to work out the kinks before permanently blocking news on its platforms when the Liberal government’s online news act becomes law.

The bill, which is being studied in the Senate, will require tech giants to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online.

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The tech giant says the test will affect up to five per cent of its 24 million Canadian users.

The company says the randomly selected users won’t be able to see some content including news links as well as reels, which are short-form videos, and stories, which are photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours.

Meta says it is randomly choosing media organizations that will be notified that some users won’t be able to see or share their news content throughout the test.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2023.

The Canadian Press