Blame Canada.After pulling the plug on Canadian news content last summer, Facebook parent company Meta is now following suit in a half dozen countries around the globe — even the US — as governments continue to debate laws forcing it to pay for news.The company announced late Thursday it would start blocking news in Australia and the US starting in April. It comes after it made similar moves in the UK, France and Germany in December, 2023.In a statement, Meta blamed declining news traffic but observers said it has more to do with looming legislation forcing it to pay news outlets for content.The company “will not enter into new commercial deals for traditional news content in these countries and will not offer new Facebook products specifically for news publishers in the future.”“The product change is part of an “ongoing effort to better align our investments to our products and services people value the most,” it said. “As a company, we have to focus our time and resources on things people tell us they want to see more of on the platform, including short form video.”.“We know that it’s absolutely critical that media is able to function properly and be properly funded. Journalism is important and the idea that research and work done by others can be taken free is simply untenable.”Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.As in Canada, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was livid telling reporters it’s “not the Australian way.”“We know that it’s absolutely critical that media is able to function properly and be properly funded,” Albanese added. “Journalism is important and the idea that research and work done by others can be taken free is simply untenable.”According to a Pew Research Center survey from late September 2023, Facebook was the top social media site for news. Three in 10 users turned to Facebook to check for news content while only 12% reported using Twitter (“X”).Canada passed Bill C-18, the online news act, in June of last year after Australia passed its own version in 2021..Last summer the US Senate Judiciary Committee approved its own Journalism Competition and Preservation Act to make social media giants pay for news but it has yet to reach a floor vote in Congress.“We all know the vital role that local newspapers and broadcasters play in informing the public, ensuring accountability and promoting civic engagement,” said committee chairman and senate majority whip Dick Durbin from Illinois.“Yet, we’ve seen a massive decline in local news over the past few decades driven, in part, by large online gatekeepers like Google and Facebook siphoning away more and more of the advertising revenue that news organizations have traditionally relied upon to fund their work.”
Blame Canada.After pulling the plug on Canadian news content last summer, Facebook parent company Meta is now following suit in a half dozen countries around the globe — even the US — as governments continue to debate laws forcing it to pay for news.The company announced late Thursday it would start blocking news in Australia and the US starting in April. It comes after it made similar moves in the UK, France and Germany in December, 2023.In a statement, Meta blamed declining news traffic but observers said it has more to do with looming legislation forcing it to pay news outlets for content.The company “will not enter into new commercial deals for traditional news content in these countries and will not offer new Facebook products specifically for news publishers in the future.”“The product change is part of an “ongoing effort to better align our investments to our products and services people value the most,” it said. “As a company, we have to focus our time and resources on things people tell us they want to see more of on the platform, including short form video.”.“We know that it’s absolutely critical that media is able to function properly and be properly funded. Journalism is important and the idea that research and work done by others can be taken free is simply untenable.”Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.As in Canada, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was livid telling reporters it’s “not the Australian way.”“We know that it’s absolutely critical that media is able to function properly and be properly funded,” Albanese added. “Journalism is important and the idea that research and work done by others can be taken free is simply untenable.”According to a Pew Research Center survey from late September 2023, Facebook was the top social media site for news. Three in 10 users turned to Facebook to check for news content while only 12% reported using Twitter (“X”).Canada passed Bill C-18, the online news act, in June of last year after Australia passed its own version in 2021..Last summer the US Senate Judiciary Committee approved its own Journalism Competition and Preservation Act to make social media giants pay for news but it has yet to reach a floor vote in Congress.“We all know the vital role that local newspapers and broadcasters play in informing the public, ensuring accountability and promoting civic engagement,” said committee chairman and senate majority whip Dick Durbin from Illinois.“Yet, we’ve seen a massive decline in local news over the past few decades driven, in part, by large online gatekeepers like Google and Facebook siphoning away more and more of the advertising revenue that news organizations have traditionally relied upon to fund their work.”
