From Investing.com: 2024-04-14 17:06:18

Since Meta blocked news links in Canada to avoid paying fees, right-wing meme producer Jeff Ballingall has seen an increase in clicks for his Canada Proud Facebook page with 540,000 followers. This move by Facebook has led to major changes in Canadian engagement with political news, replacing journalism with memes.

Meta’s decision means Canadians now see a box message “news content can’t be shared” when a news link is posted. Views on news posts have plummeted from 5-8 million per day, replaced by tripling engagement on image-based posts. The lack of news has increased user interaction with opinion and non-verified content, potentially undermining political discourse.

Research has shown that engagement with unreliable sources in Canada has risen significantly after the ban on news links. This has raised concerns about the spread of misinformation, especially in the lead-up to elections. Canadian officials and news organizations have criticized Meta’s decision to block news, calling it “reckless” and warning about the spread of disinformation.

Studies show that Facebook remains the top social media platform for current affairs content in Canada and Australia, despite declining as a news source. While Facebook has taken a hard stance on paying for news, Google has reached agreements with governments in Australia and Canada to support media outlets.



Read more at Investing.com: Analysis-When Facebook blocks news, studies show the political risks that follow By Reuters