NAB, CAB Issues Joint Statement on Meta's News Blocking

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, August 4, 2023 | 11:39am CT

NAB and CAB

Meta Platforms has begun blocking news in Canada on Facebook and Instagram over the passage of Canada's Online News Act that requires paying news publishers. The Canadian government quickly denounced the move as "irresponsible." This new law requires online platforms to negotiate commercial deals with Canadian news publishers for their content.

NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt and CAB President Kevin Desjardins issued the following joint statement:

"As national associations representing broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) strongly urge lawmakers to support legislation that enables news providers to negotiate with dominant digital platforms for fair terms and conditions when our content appears on their platforms.

"Meta -- a nearly trillion-dollar company -- repeatedly chooses to restrict news content for its users to avoid compensating news producers for the value it gains on their vital journalism. These retaliatory tactics demonstrate Meta's monopolistic dominance over the advertising marketplace and its ability to dictate how radio and TV broadcasters, newspapers and others can reach audiences online. Rather than working to ensure its users have access to trusted news and information, Meta is holding news content on its platform hostage.

"Policymakers should not reward Meta's coercive behavior. At a time when misinformation, disinformation and AI-generated content proliferate online, the future of democracy relies on the accessibility of fact-based, trustworthy journalism."