By Canadian Press

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez reacts to Facebook ‘threat’ over online news bill

Apr 27, 2022 | 9:55 AM

OTTAWA — Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez is hitting back at Meta, which owns Facebook, after the company did not rule out banning Canadians from viewing and sharing news on the social network.

The Liberal government introduced a bill earlier this month that would force digital giants to compensate news outlets for reusing their work.

Canada’s bill to support the news industry is modelled on a law in Australia, where Facebook introduced a temporary ban on viewing and sharing news on its site last year in protest of the draft legislation.

An executive from Meta Canada did not rule out a similar response here when pressed on the issue Tuesday at a parliamentary committee.

Rodriguez says “the same threat” in Australia was not well received by people in that country and would also not go down well with Canadians.

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Meta Canada’s Rachel Curran was asked at the Commons public safety committee on Tuesday whether a ban was off the table and replied that the company is “still looking at all of the options.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2022.

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Meta funds a fellowship that supports journalism positions at The Canadian Press.

The Canadian Press