Canadian news industry experts sound the alarm on Bill C-18
Canadians will start seeing less news content on their Facebook and Instagram feeds due to a controversial Canadian bill that recently became law.
Bill C-18, also known as the Online News Act, received royal assent last Thursday and will come into force in about six months. It will require tech giants like Meta and Google to pay news organizations for linking to or repurposing their content online.
“A strong, independent and free press is fundamental to our democracy,” tweeted Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez last week. “The Online News Act will help make sure tech giants negotiate fair and equitable deals with news organizations.”
A strong, independent and free press is fundamental to our democracy. The Online News Act will help make sure tech giants negotiate fair and equitable deals with news organizations.#CndPoli #C18 pic.twitter.com/KWvZQVrCCz
— Pablo Rodriguez (@pablorodriguez) June 23, 2023
In response, Meta, the tech company that owns Instagram and Facebook, confirmed that it would end access to news content on the social media platforms for all Canadian users before the law takes effect.
“We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18, passed today in Parliament, content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada,” the company said in a statement.
Canadians and experts in the news industry are sounding the alarm on the repercussions of Bill C-18.
Local BC online news magazine The Tyee warned its followers of the upcoming changes and how they’ll affect news organizations and readers.
“Beyond each user’s personal experiences, however, lies a broad threat to Canada’s democracy,” wrote Jeanette Ageson, publisher of The Tyee. “We see it clearly because we are a small, independent digital journalism outlet striving as best we can to pay our staff and publish news at a moment when journalism is in crisis.”
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Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, says that Facebook blocking news content will “disproportionately hurt smaller and independent media outlets and leave the field to poorer quality sources.”
Seeing some suggest that somehow Facebook blocking news sharing due to Bill C-18 is a good thing. It’s not. It will disproportionately hurt smaller and independent media outlets and leave the field to poorer quality sources. Worst of all: it was totally predictable and avoidable.
— Michael Geist (@mgeist) June 22, 2023
In a recent blog post, Geist elaborated on the repercussions of the Online News Act becoming law.
He writes that although news is not a significant part of Facebook feeds, it’s a key platform for a lot of news outlets.
“It is important to many news outlets, who told the Senate studying the bill that it provides between 17 – 30% of their traffic,” wrote Geist.
“This is particularly true for small, independent and digital-first outlets that often rely on social media to develop readership and establish community. Losing those free referral links will have a damaging effect on those news outlets and undermine competition, leading to reduced traffic, less ad revenue, and fewer subscribers.”
Jesse Brown, editor-in-chief of news site and podcast network Canadaland, says that all media organizations will be affected by this, no matter the size or political leanings.
This is the fantasy of the Post Millennial’s founder, and I’ve heard it from other right wing publishers: they think once Meta blocks CBC et al, their content will be the only news left on Facebook! Not gonna happen. FB is aware of this liability and will just wipe everything. https://t.co/6Xy4jS64bi
— Jesse Brown (@JesseBrown) June 23, 2023
Even controversial American podcaster Joe Rogan chimed in on one of his latest episodes.
“This is just going to have more power to tell you what to do, and if you’re a Canadian person who’s broadcasting a podcast of Vancouver and you have a narrative that doesn’t fit with what Trudeau wants you to say, you could run into trouble,” said Rogan.
Geist says this outcome could’ve been avoided.
In his blog post, he wrote that the federal government pursued the wrong regulation.
“It is striking that Bill C-27, the government’s long delayed privacy and AI regulation bill, went virtually nowhere during the Parliamentary session,” wrote Geist. “If the government was serious about constraining big tech, tougher privacy and data governance rules would have been job one.”
“Had the government listened to anyone other than media lobbyists, it would have considered alternatives such as a fund model that would have avoided payments for links, concerns about press independence, as well as risks to trade and copyright obligations,” he added.
Even though the bill has become law, it won’t take effect for a few months.
The Department of Canadian Heritage will now draft specific regulations and provide guidance on implementing it.
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