Meta gives in to CRTC disclosure order on Online News Act compliance

OTTAWA — After initially fighting the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, Meta has complied with an order from the regulator to publicly disclose information about its news-blocking measures.

The CRTC asked Meta what measures it’s taking to comply with the Online News Act, and if news is being made available on its platforms — which would require the company to compensate media outlets for displaying their content.

Meta blocked news from Facebook and Instagram in response to that legislation.

But users have found workarounds to continue to share news on Meta’s platforms, and the Liberal government maintains the company could still fall under the legislation.

After Meta refused to follow CRTC directions to either publicly release its Oct. 17 response, or explain in detail why it should remain confidential, the regulator gave Meta until Wednesday to make the document public.

In that brief Oct. 17 letter, Meta says it blocks content from domains, pages, or accounts it has identified as news outlets, but the letter does not address workarounds such as users sharing screenshots of news articles and copying the text of articles in their posts.

“The measures we undertake to identify potential news outlets include reviewing potential publishers based on Facebook and Instagram account activity, and industry information available through public, licensed and government sources,” the company said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press