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Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez participates in a news conference on Bill C-18, the Online News Act, in Ottawa, on Wednesday, July 5, 2023.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
The federal government is suspending all advertising on Meta platforms – including Facebook and Instagram – over the company’s plans to block Canadian news on its platforms in response to Ottawa’s Online News Act.
The decision was announced shortly after Quebecor Inc. said it was ceasing advertising with Meta for the same reason.
Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez announced the decision Wednesday at a news conference in Ottawa with NDP heritage critic Peter Julian and Bloc Québécois heritage critic Martin Champoux.
Parliament approved the act, known as Bill C-18, last month and the measures are scheduled to take effect within six months after the drafting of regulatory details. The legislation outlines a framework in which large platforms – specifically Google and Facebook – will be required to reach compensation agreements with publishers for the use of news on their sites.
Both companies have said the bill as approved is unworkable. Google announced on June 29 that it intends to block Canadian news on its platform, but is continuing to participate in the regulatory process.
Meta had previously said it will block access to Canadian news and the Minister said the company has not expressed interest in finding a solution through regulations.
Explainer: What to know about Bill C-18, the new law that will affect how you get news in Canada
Mr. Rodriguez said the federal government currently spends about $10-million a year in advertising on Meta platforms.
While Mr. Rodriguez spoke positively of Quebecor’s decision to also stop advertising on Meta, he declined to say whether the Liberal Party would follow the government’s move.
Advertising on Facebook is a key element of modern political campaigns, in part because parties can target messages to specific demographics.
Parker Lund, a spokesperson for the Liberal Party, told The Globe Wednesday that the party is not changing its policy.
“We will continue to advertise on Meta platforms,” he said.
More to come
