You may have heard or already been affected by Meta and Google blocking Canadian news online in response to Bill C-18.

No, that does not mean that news is being censored in Canada. It means that for an indeterminate period of time (until an agreement is struck) news won’t automatically appear on your Facebook or Instagram feed. You will have to count on other platforms or go directly to the source instead.

But do you know why this is happening and why Bill C-18 was drawn in the first place? Canada isn’t the first place where news has been blocked in such a way and is unlikely to be the last as governments worldwide are locking horns with news aggregators like Meta and Google.

Whether you agree that the law would achieve what it intended to do or not, it’s important to understand the context in which it is happening.

It’s also a good opportunity to reconsider our news consumption habits. Check out some tips on the last slide.

Sources: https://tinyurl.com/SUFBillC18