Canada’s move is the latest episode in a spat that started after Trudeau‘s administration proposed a bill that would require technology companies to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online.
Meta promised at the time to block Canadian news content on its Facebook and Instagram platforms to address Canada’s recently passed Online News Act.
Rodriguez said the decision from Meta is “unreasonable” and “irresponsible,” and as a result Canada would stop advertising on their platforms.
The annual report on government spending shows the federal government spent just over 11.4 million Canadian dollars (around USD 8.6 million) advertising on Facebook and Instagram in 2021-2022.
Google has also promised to start blocking Canadian news when the bill takes effect in six months.
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Rodriguez said the government is in talks with the company and believes their concerns will be managed by the regulations that will come to implement the bill.
