Brah, Meta Give Canada da Cold Shoulder 🥶: No More News! 🚫📰
⬇️ Pidgin | ⬇️ ⬇️ English
So, you guys wen hear? Meta, da big kahuna behind Facebook and Instagram, wen start fo’ block all da news stuffs inside Canada, all cuz one new law up dea. Da Canadian government wen go make one law dat say all da tech companies gotta pay da news guys if dey use their stories and things. Mean, yeah? 🤑💵
Now, with dis kine change, in da next few weeks or so, all da kine content from Canadian news and even da ones from outside Canada won’t show up fo’ da Canadians on top da Facebook and Instagram. No can see, no can read! 😲📵
Canada went big time with dis one, passing da “Online News Act” back in June. Dem joined da party with odda countries dat all like make da big social media peeps pay da news companies. So, da law say, da platforms and da search engines gotta sit down with da news publishers and talk story ’bout how fo’ pay fo’ using their stuff. Serious business! 🤝💼
Meta already wen give hints b’fore dat dey going block da news if Canada wen push with dat law. Dey went write on their blog dat dis “Online News Act” no make sense and dey tink da news guys actually get plenty from being on their platforms. Dey even said, da news guys like share their stuffs on their own, fo’ get more people fo’ look. And guess what? Meta wen help da publishers get traffic dat dey tink worth more than 230 million Canadian dollas in just one year! Whew, das big bucks! 💰📈
Den we got Pascale St-Onge, da big boss fo’ Canadian heritage. She went call out Meta big time! She tink what dey doing is “irresponsible.” 😠🔥 She wen go say, “They’d rather block their peeps from getting all da good kine local news instead of just paying what dey owe!” And no forget, she stay solid with da new law, no backing down. She also wen mention how Facebook like send messages to odda countries too, like New Zealand, UK, and even da US. 😤🌍
Oh, and Google too, dey wen jump on da bandwagon. Dey planning fo’ take away da links to da local Canadian news. Kent Walker, one big shot ova dea at Google, he went say da Online News Act is all “unworkable” and going hurt their wallets big time if they gotta pay fo’ showing da news links. 🤷♂️💸 And da guy wen let da Canadian government know dey gonna pull da news and even stop their “Google News Showcase” when da law kicks in.
If you rememba, Australia wen do something similar with one law in 2021. Dat time, Meta wen block news links, but afta while, dey made one deal and everything wen come back to normal. As fo’ California, dey wen think ’bout making one bill fo’ tech giants fo’ pay fo’ news. But last month, dey wen put da idea on hold fo’ one year. And guess what? Meta no like dat bill one bit, calling it da “California Journalism Preservation Act” and pushing against um. 🐨🔒
So, brah, all in all, tings going get real interesting in da tech world and news biz. Everybody watching how dis all going pan out! 🍿👀 Stay tuned and no foget share da aloha! 🤙🌺
NOW IN ENGLISH
🥶 Meta Blocks News in Canada: A Cold Response to New Law
Meta, the powerhouse behind Facebook and Instagram, has recently started blocking news content in Canada due to new legislation. This Canadian law mandates tech firms to compensate news organizations if they utilize their content. This move has sparked significant attention, with ramifications potentially felt globally. 🌎
Over the next several weeks, this change will mean that content from both local Canadian and international news sources won’t be available to Canadians on these platforms. This move effectively renders these important news updates invisible to its vast Canadian user base. 📵
Canada’s decision to introduce the “Online News Act” in June aligns with a growing trend where governments are pressuring large social media corporations to financially support news agencies. This law specifically requires tech platforms and search engines to broker deals with news publishers about compensatory measures for content use. 💰📑
Meta had previously hinted at such a restrictive move if Canada pursued this legislation. Their stance, as elaborated in a blog post, criticized the act for allegedly not understanding the mutual benefit news outlets receive from their presence on platforms like Facebook. They argue that these platforms amplify the reach of news outlets, and even claimed that they had generated publisher traffic in the past year that’s worth over 230 million Canadian dollars. 📈📊
In response, Pascale St-Onge, the Canadian Minister of Heritage, labeled Meta’s actions as “irresponsible.” She emphasized that instead of barring access to quality news, these platforms should ensure they’re contributing fairly to news organizations that produce the content. St-Onge remains steadfast in upholding the new legislation and believes that this move by Facebook serves as a broader message to countries like New Zealand, the UK, and the US. 🌐🤔
Interestingly, Google seems to be following suit. They’ve expressed intentions to remove links to local Canadian news. Google’s Kent Walker has dubbed the Online News Act as being “unworkable,” suggesting it poses a significant financial threat to the company by compelling payment for news link displays. He affirmed that they’d be discontinuing their Google News Showcase in light of the law. 💸🔗
A similar situation unfolded in Australia in 2021 when they introduced a related law. Meta initially blocked news links, but later struck a deal, restoring access. Meanwhile, in California, while there’s been consideration of a bill that demands tech giants compensate for news, it’s currently shelved. Despite the pause, Meta has been actively resisting, critiquing the proposed “California Journalism Preservation Act.” 🐨🚫
To conclude, the intersection of tech giants and news distribution is at a critical juncture. As both industries evolve, the world watches keenly to see the outcome. Stay informed and engaged! 🌐📰👀
