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Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the government’s commitment to continue enforcing the newly enacted Online News Act, which mandates large internet companies to pay Canadian news publishers for their content. Despite this, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has chosen to block news sharing on its platforms rather than comply with the payment requirements.

Trudeau criticized Meta’s stance: “We will continue to push Meta, that makes billions of dollars in profits, even though it is refusing to invest in the journalistic rigor and stability of the media.”

The Online News Act, targeting companies with significant monthly users and high annual revenue, has seen Alphabet’s Google agree to a yearly payment of $100 million to Canadian news publishers. However, Meta’s response contrasts sharply. Rachel Curran, head of public policy for Meta Canada, stated, “News outlets choose to use our free services because it helps their bottom line, and today’s release of final regulations does not change our business decision.”

Paul Deegan, CEO of News Media Canada, praised the government’s efforts, describing the legislation as a “durable, world-leading framework that is balanced and predictable for both news publishers and platforms,” and urged Meta to emulate Google’s approach in supporting Canadian journalism.