Canada, Meta reach an agreement to restore news content on Facebook and Instagram

According to a Vietnam News Agency reporter in Ottawa, the Canadian Government has reached an agreement with technology group Meta to restore the news segment on Facebook and Instagram after Meta's controversial decision to remove that content in response to the project. Bill C-18 - online news bill.

The agreement represents a significant change in news dissemination and regulation of social media platforms in Canada.

The agreement comes after months of secret negotiations between Canadian regulators and Meta, in which both sides sought to address concerns raised by Bill C-18, trying to find a solution. which both sides agreed to balance the need for oversight with the need for a vibrant and diverse news ecosystem.

At the heart of the agreement is the Government of Canada's admission that Bill C-18 does not fully understand the complexities of the Internet and how Canadian media companies benefit from posting their content to Facebook and Instagram.

The Government of Canada's Bill C-18 requires technology companies such as Google and Meta to implement agreements with Canadian news providers under which these platforms will pay a fee to share content. news.

Meanwhile, Meta also admitted mistakes in handling this situation, that the decision to block news content caused serious harm to media organizations and to the Canadian public.

The agreement between the Government of Canada and Meta represents a significant compromise on both sides. Meta agrees to restore news content on its platform starting no later than October 21, 2025, while the Government of Canada commits to amending Bill C-18 and reassessing its approach in social network management.

Key provisions of the agreement include establishing a framework for ongoing dialogue between Meta and Canadian regulators to address emerging challenges in the digital landscape.

While Meta will not 'pay for links' as stipulated in bill C-18, the company has agreed to spend money to support local journalism in Canada by relaunching similar programs such as 'news innovation pilot' to support information gathering in underserved communities./.

Jessica Tanner

Update 02 April 2024