Meta begins blocking news access on its platforms in Canada

Meta has begun to remove news content from Facebook and Instagram in Canada, the social media giant said Tuesday, in response to recently passed legislation in the country that requires tech companies to negotiate payments to news organizations for hosting their content.

As a result of the move — which Meta had previously said would occur before the law takes effect — Meta’s Canadian users will no longer be able to click on links to news articles posted to Facebook and Instagram.

The changes began Tuesday and will roll out gradually over the coming weeks, said Meta spokesperson Andy Stone.

The decision comes amid a global debate over the relationship between news organizations and social media companies about the value of news content, and who gets to benefit from it.