Ottawa Considering Regulating Meta Under Online News Act, CRTC Requires Further Evidence
The Liberal government continues to maintain that Meta could still fall under regulation through its Online News Act, despite users finding ways to circumvent the news ban.
However, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) indicates that it lacks sufficient information to make a decision, even though it acknowledges reports of news still being accessible on Facebook and Instagram.
Meta initiated the block on news links on both platforms in Canada after a law was passed last summer, mandating compensation for media outlets whose content is displayed.
Following the block, social media users on these platforms have discovered workarounds through sharing screenshots of news articles, posting article text, or linking to posts on X containing news links.
Despite the government operating independently from the CRTC, Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge has hinted for some time that Meta could still be subject to regulation under the law given users’ loopholes.
Her office stated, “The Online News Act may still be applicable to Meta, and the CRTC will have to decide.”
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Meta argues that by removing “news” as defined by the government, it is exempt from compensating under the law.
In a statement on Friday, the regulator emphasized that it is Meta’s responsibility to notify the CRTC proactively if this stance changes.
The regulator stated, “The CRTC does not govern the content platforms offer under the Act. While reports suggest that Meta continues to provide news, the CRTC requires additional evidence to take action.”
During the examination of the Online News Act by a House of Commons committee, Canadian Heritage officials indicated that the law would apply to certain tech giants facilitating news link sharing.
They clarified that companies sharing excerpts or quotes from news articles would not be subject to the law, as discussed in a committee meeting in November 2022.
A year after the ban, a study reveals a significant decline in local news outlets’ audience, while Meta itself appears unaffected.
Overall, Canadians are accessing less news online, with an estimated 11 million fewer views per day across Facebook and Instagram, according to the Media Ecosystem Observatory.
This research initiative, led by McGill University and the University of Toronto, is federally funded, with independent researchers from Ottawa.
Meta has not faced explicit penalties for the news block in Canada, but top government officials have expressed discontent with the company.
The Competition Bureau is assessing whether the block infringes on antitrust laws.
Conservative Canadian Heritage critic Rachael Thomas attributed the struggles of small, local, and independent media outlets to the Liberal government, pledging that a Conservative government would revise the law.
