After having sharply criticized and accused Québec solidaire (QS) and the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) of lacking solidarity, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) turned around and started buying advertising again on Facebook and Instagram.
Meta’s decision to block Canadian news from its Facebook and Instagram platforms last summer provoked a major boycott movement of which the CAQ was part.
During the by-election in Jean-Talon, QS and the PLQ decided to buy advertising on Meta’s platforms, which aroused the ire of Prime Minister François Legault.
“It’s still special that Québec solidaire is not in solidarity with Quebec journalists and media. […] I find that really deplorable. […] Québec solidaire should change its name,” he then said.
Meta blocks Canadian content due to the adoption of Bill C-18 in the House of Commons last June, which forces web giants to pay royalties to Canadian media.
The general director of the CAQ, Brigitte Legault, justifies her party’s decision by arguing that it is more difficult to reach people aged 18 to 40 in traditional media. “There are entire age groups and places that are not served,” she told The Canadian Press.
For example, there is an advertisement claiming that the CAQ government has reduced home care forms. “Less paperwork, more efficient services”, we can read in the publication dating from January 22 and posted on Facebook and Instagram.
Mme Legault indicates that these advertisements are limited to two regions — Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Bas-Saint-Laurent — and that they will not exceed 10% of the party’s advertising budget. “We want to encourage Quebec media, like local weeklies and radios,” she assures.
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