While Meta begins to censor the journalistic content of Facebook and Instagram for a hundred users, the Canadian political class unanimously denounces a maneuver of “intimidation” before which Ottawa has no intention of backing down.
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“When a web giant, no matter how big, no matter how big, no matter how big its budget and powerful lawyers, comes here and says ‘if you don’t do this, I’ll unplug you’, that’s a threat and it’s unacceptable. said Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez.
Like Google before, the company run by multi-billionaire Mark Zuckerberg says it has little to lose by blocking the flow of journalistic content, which it considers “free marketing” for the media.
Expert Jean-Hugues Roy is not so sure.
“The experience on these platforms will be less rich. It’s not in their interest to do that,” he said in an interview.
“Facebook is shooting itself in the foot by doing that,” added the journalism professor at UQAM.
On the other hand, the general manager of the Globe & Mail told the Senate earlier this week that Canadian media would “suffer a lot” if Google and Facebook followed through on their threat.
“Temporary” and affecting only certain users for now, the measure would be permanent and extended to all if Bill C-18 to force these platforms to remunerate Canadian media passes the final test in the Senate, assured Meta.
“News media will still have access to their accounts and pages, and will still be able to post links and news content; however, some content will not be available for viewing in Canada.
“Very bad corporate citizen”
Meta turns out to be a “very bad corporate citizen,” according to Mr. Roy.
“I’m trying to think of services that make money off of Canadians, but come close to regulation that would hurt the democratic quality of life, and I can’t find it.”
The professor judges that “if the law is adopted, Canada will become an example to follow”, and suggests to Minister Rodriguez to “continue” to stand up.
A law passed in 2021 in Australia and which Canada took inspiration from allowed the media sector to pocket around $200 million in the first year, despite similar tactics used by the platforms.
New Democrat Peter Julian remarks that Meta is “unable to censor hate speech and misinformation, but can censor credible journalism.”
“I find the contradiction very obvious,” said the man who also wants a law to demand “algorithmic transparency” to reveal how web giants target their audiences.
Martin Champoux of the Bloc Québécois accuses Meta of “playing the big guns” after having “completely upset our lives and our ways of getting information”.
Taking the forest fires as an example, the MP maintains that “in an emergency the media undoubtedly become an essential service in spite of themselves”.
“We are extremely concerned that Canadians will no longer be able to access or share vital information on social media, especially in the context of the current wildfires raging in various regions of Canada,” said the attaché. release from Minister Rodriguez.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has also denounced Meta’s “threats” and “censorship”, but said the company is only copying Justin Trudeau by wanting to “control what people see”.