Several organizations are calling on Quebecers to boycott Facebook and Instagram this Friday to denounce the blocking of news in Canada since the 1er August by parent company Meta.
“It’s fundamental, it concerns us a lot, because what Meta is doing affects the robustness of our democracy,” explains Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM), in an interview.
Mr. Leblanc was responding to the boycott invitation launched by the Professional Federation of Journalists of Quebec (FPJQ), an initiative which aims to raise public awareness of local news production.
The CCMM invites its 8,000 members as well as the Quebec public to boycott the use of Meta’s products to send a clear message to the Silicon Valley giant.
“Don’t use Meta Friday. Meta must review its position, because a strong society needs a healthy media system,” argues Mr. Leblanc.
Australia has succeeded and the media there receive sums of 174 million per year from the web giants, so we think that something of the same order could very well be envisaged in Canada.
Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the CCMM
The president of the CCMM adds that companies, including Lassonde, Maxi, Sobeys, and New Look, have stopped advertising on Meta since 1er August in opposition to news blocking.
Meta’s decision to block the broadcast of news in Canada since this summer has deprived Canadians of an important source of quality information, points out Michaël Nguyen, president of the FPJQ.
“And it doesn’t just hit the Canadian media, but all the media. For example, the Moroccan community in Canada can no longer see Moroccan media on Facebook to get news about the earthquake in Morocco, find out what is happening, etc. We know that 30% of Canadians get their information mainly on social networks, a proportion which rises to 50% among those under 30. »
Mr. Nguyen invites people to “create a habit” by visiting the sites and downloading applications of local media, and suggests that the public take the opportunity to subscribe to a newsletter from a local media to be informed at the source.
More than journalism
According to a UQAM study, Meta would have earned 192 million in revenue from the content of Canadian newspapers shared on Facebook in 2021. “In Canada, web giants monopolize 80% of online advertising revenue. That’s 8 billion per year who leave Canada never to return. And it goes further than journalism. For example, the public no longer sees theater reviews on Facebook. So people may not have the reflex to go see a play, which means less potential income for the theater. It can play on the influence of our culture,” notes the president of the FPJQ.
This week, Projet Montréal launched an advertising campaign on Facebook, before changing its mind after TVA recalled Valérie Plante’s commitment to no longer advertise on Meta.
Mr. Nguyen says he understands that it is not easy for organizations to stop using Facebook. “In 2006, we used it to stay in touch with family, then with friends, then to watch videos, then news… That’s why it’s important to send the message that we will not give the keys to Canada to Meta. »
The web giants – mainly Meta and Google – will have to pay royalties to Canadian media if they broadcast content produced by these media on their platforms. These royalties, which will have to be the subject of negotiations, could reach approximately 230 million dollars per year – 172 million in the case of Google and 62 million in the case of Meta, according to calculations by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
However, the Canadian media may never see the color of this money if, as Meta has already been doing since the 1er August, web giants decide to block access to Canadian news to avoid the obligations arising from this law.
The story so far:
- Meta has been blocking since 1er August access to news in Canada to avoid the obligations arising from Bill C-18.
- The Silicon Valley company could have to pay millions in royalties to Canadian media if it broadcast their content on its platforms.
- The news was briefly blocked after a similar law was passed in Australia in 2021, but the web giants have since come to terms with the government.