Review Online News Act effects
Petitioners ask the Government to conduct a public review of the Online News Act’s effects on Canadians’ access to news, engage Meta to restore news on Facebook and Instagram, report to Parliament, and consider amendments.
Why we would sign this petition
- Would seek to restore Canadians’ access to news on Facebook and Instagram, benefiting people who rely on those platforms, especially in rural and remote communities.
- Could help reverse reported drops in visibility, audience reach, and referral traffic for small, independent and community news organizations.
- Would increase transparency by reporting to Parliament and allowing legislative fixes if the Act is not meeting its objectives.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Meta’s ongoing blackout shows engagement may fail; talks to restore news could be prolonged or unsuccessful.
- Amending or accommodating platform demands might weaken provisions meant to support journalism, creating a trade-off between access and funding objectives.
- A comprehensive review and potential legislative changes could be time-consuming and divert resources from other priorities, delaying prompt remedies.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled The Online News Act (Bill C-18) was intended to support Canadian journalism; Since August 2023, Meta Platforms has blocked news content on Facebook and Instagram for Canadian users in response to the Act; Millions of Canadians use social media platforms to access, discover, and share local, national, and emergency news; The continued absence of news content on Meta platforms has reduced access to information for many Canadians, particularly those in rural and remote communities and those who rely on social media as a primary means of accessing news; Small, independent, and community news organizations have reported declines in visibility, audience reach, and referral traffic resulting from the ongoing news blackout; More than two years later, Canadians remain unable to access and share news content on Meta platforms; and Canadians deserve a transparent assessment of whether the Online News Act is achieving its intended objectives and serving the public interest. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Conduct a comprehensive public review of the impacts of the Online News Act on Canadians' access to news and information, including input from users, journalists, publishers, digital platforms, and other stakeholders; 2. Engage with Meta Platforms with the objective of restoring access to news content for Canadian users of Facebook and Instagram; 3. Publicly report to Parliament on the effectiveness of the Online News Act in achieving its stated objectives; and 4. Consider legislative amendments or other measures necessary to address unintended consequences that have reduced Canadians' access to news and information online. 1. Conduct a comprehensive public review of the impacts of the Online News Act on Canadians' access to news and information, including input from users, journalists, publishers, digital platforms, and other stakeholders; 2. Engage with Meta Platforms with the objective of restoring access to news content for Canadian users of Facebook and Instagram; 3. Publicly report to Parliament on the effectiveness of the Online News Act in achieving its stated objectives; and 4. Consider legislative amendments or other measures necessary to address unintended consequences that have reduced Canadians' access to news and information online.
Government response
No government response is available yet.