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Previous 1. Grocery rebate: Canadians eligible for GST credit expected to receive payment today Trending People shop at a grocery store in Moncton, N.B. 2. Ottawa, Quebec pull advertising, escalating showdown with Facebook and Instagram Trending Pablo-Rodriguez 3. Bookmakers list Hunter Biden as favourite for source of White House cocaine Trending Hunter Biden with his parents at the White House 4. John Ivison: As immigration doubts grow, Poilievre keeps the faith Trending poilievre 5. Scammers posing as Calgary officers to steal thousands of dollars prompts police warning Trending Calgary Police Service Next * Share via email * Facebook * Twitter * Share on Linkedin * Open more share options Close Share this Story: Ottawa, Quebec pull advertising, escalating showdown with Facebook and Instagram + Copy Link + [ico] Email + [ico] Facebook + [ico] Twitter + [ico] Reddit + [ico] Pinterest + [ico] LinkedIn + [ico] Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links 1. News 2. Canadian Politics 3. Canada Ottawa, Quebec pull advertising, escalating showdown with Facebook and Instagram 'Facebook has decided to be unreasonable, irresponsible, and started blocking news' Author of the article: Christopher Nardi Published Jul 05, 2023 * Last updated 18 minutes ago * 3 minute read Join the conversation Pablo-Rodriguez Federal Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez at the Canadian Media Producers Association Prime Time conference in Ottawa, Feb. 2, 2023. Photo by Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press Article content OTTAWA - The federal and Quebec governments will stop advertising on Meta-owned platforms Facebook and Instagram as the conflict between the company and Ottawa heats up over legislation that would force web giants to share revenues with news publishers. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events * Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account. * National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. * Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. * Support local journalism. REGISTER FOR MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. * Access articles from across Canada with one account. * Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. * Enjoy additional articles per month. * Get email updates from your favourite authors. Don't have an account? Create Account or View more offers If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is included in your subscription. Activate your Online Access Now Article content We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or tap here to see other videos from our team. Ottawa, Quebec pull advertising, escalating showdown with Facebook and Instagram Back to video "Facebook has decided to be unreasonable, irresponsible, and started blocking news," Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez told reporters Wednesday flanked by Bloc Quebecois MP Martin Champoux and NDP MP Peter Julian. Shortly after, Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced his government would follow suite and stop advertising on Facebook "in solidarity with the media". "No company is above the law," he added on Twitter. But the Liberal government's decision does not extend to the party. Liberal Party of Canada spokesperson Parker Lund said in a statement that the party would continue to advertise on Meta-owned platforms. According to the company's ad library, the party spent nearly $15,000 on over 1,000 ads in the past month. Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Rodriguez said his government was only targeting ads on Meta platforms and not those on Google because the former has refused to negotiate a deal to compensate news media companies for the use of their content. "I consider that Google's approach is responsible. They have specific requests and that's normal, they're a private company," Rodriguez said. "Meta, on the other side, is not talking to us," he added. "They took a different approach and I don't think it's it's good for anyone; not for them, not for the government, not for Canadians." Recommended from Editorial 1. Facebook's Meta logo on a sign at the company headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Trudeau accuses Meta of abandoning democratic 'responsibility' for walking away from Online News Act 2. Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, speaks during a press conference to announce Montreal International's 2022 investment results, in Montreal, Feb. 20. Government has 'options' if Facebook, Google pull news content, minister says Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The Online News Act, formerly known as Bill C-18, received royal assent on June 22. It would obligate Meta and Google to reach commercial deals with news publishers to share revenues for news stories that appear on their platforms (Postmedia, publisher of the National Post, is in favour of the legislation) once it comes into force within six months. In response to the bill's passing, Meta began blocking news content on its Facebook and Instagram platforms to certain users in recent weeks. Google has said it will remove Canadian news links from its products when the act comes into force in around six months, but Rodriguez said he is optimistic that it won't come to that. "We've met both Google and Meta multiple times to better understand the concerns. We believe we have a path forward and we're willing to continue talking with the platforms," Rodriguez said. "We're convinced what Google is asking at this moment can be done through regulations." Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content According to its latest annual report on advertisement spending, the federal government spent over $23 million on ads on Facebook and Instagram between 2020 and 2022, nearly triple what it spent on Twitter ($6.7 million) or Snapchat ($5 million). On Wednesday, Quebec's largest media conglomerate Quebecor, which owns newspapers Le Journal de Montreal and Le Journal de Quebec as well as TVA news stations, announced it was pulling advertising from Meta platforms as long as the company refused to host Canadian news links. "In view of Meta's categorical refusal to enter into negotiations, Quebecor announces that, effective immediately and until further notice, it is withdrawing all advertising by its subsidiaries and business units from Facebook and Instagram," the company said in an unattributed statement. Advertisement 6 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Cogeco, a Quebec-based radio operator, quickly followed suit. Spokespeople for other media companies including Torstar, The Globe and Mail, Bell Media, Corus, Postmedia (which owns the National Post) and La Presse did not respond to questions about their advertising on Google and Meta platforms by deadline. A spokesperson for CBC/Radio-Canada Leon Mar said only that the Crown corporation is "monitoring this situation and considering the options." On Wednesday, CBC News Editor Brodie Fenlon wrote on his blog that he was among the users who had lost access to the CBC Instagram account as part of Meta's news blocking. Instead of news, he said, he was greeted with the message: "People in Canada can't see this content. In response to Canadian government legislation, news content can't be viewed in Canada." The NDP confirmed Wednesday it would continue to buy ads on Facebook and Instagram, whereas the Bloc Quebecois said it had cut its advertisements on Meta platforms at the end of June. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated that under the Online News Act, Google and Meta could end up funding more than 30 per cent of newsroom costs, just under $330 million a year. But if Google and Meta remove news from their platforms, they will no longer be covered under the Online News Act. With additional reporting by Anja Karadeglija Article content Share this article in your social network * Share via email * Facebook * Twitter * Share on Linkedin * Open more share options Close Share this Story: Ottawa, Quebec pull advertising, escalating showdown with Facebook and Instagram + Copy Link + [ico] Email + [ico] Facebook + [ico] Twitter + [ico] Reddit + [ico] Pinterest + [ico] LinkedIn + [ico] Tumblr Comments Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications--you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. 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