Earlier this month, Meta decided to restrict the display of news links on Facebook and Instagram in Canada in response to legislation requiring tech giants to pay media companies for their content on the platforms. However, the results indicate that this measure had no discernible effect and did not change the way Canadians use Facebook.

Facebook usage has not changed in Canada

• When determining the suspension of news on Facebook, Meta clarified that these links constitute less than 3% of the material present on the social network and have no economic relevance.
• As research commissioned by Reuters reveals, this statement appears to be true.
• According to data provided by Similarweb, both the number of active users and the time spent on Facebook in Canada remained virtually unchanged after the implementation of the block.
• Even before this event, the country's main news portals had already been experiencing a reduction of around 35% annually, accumulating a drop of 74% since 2020.
• According to Data.ai, indicators related to the use of the platform have also not shown any notable changes since the beginning of August, when the blockade occurred.

Payment for news

The implementation of the blockade began with the enactment of the Online News Act by the Canadian parliament. This legislation would compel platforms such as Google and Meta to establish commercial agreements with news companies for the use of their content.

Meta’s public policy lead in Canada, Rachek Curran, spoke out against the move, saying that these news organizations are voluntarily using Facebook and Instagram to “expand their audiences and gain bottom-line advantages.” In other words, she argued that the relationship between the companies would be mutually beneficial.

Canada disagreed with Meta’s stance. Canada’s Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, who is in charge of government talks with the tech giants, wrote in a statement that the company’s actions were “irresponsible” and that it had chosen to prevent users from accessing news rather than “doing its part” financially.

Meta and Google Answers

• In June of this year, both Google and Meta said they would likely restrict access to news in Canada if the legislation went ahead – which it did.
• Both companies have reached agreements with news organizations. Google has argued that the Canadian legislation is more comprehensive than laws enacted in other countries because it imposes fees for links.
• In turn, Meta argued that news does not have significant economic relevance in the content flow of Instagram and Facebook users, a claim that aligns with recent research findings.
• The country's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, called such an argument “damaging to our democracy and economy.”