Expansion to the UK, Germany, and France Following Canada
Countermeasures Against the Introduction of News Usage Fee Payment Laws
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has decided to suspend the 'Facebook News' feature in the UK, Germany, and France after refusing to pay for news usage fees.
On the 5th (local time), major foreign media reported that Meta is expanding the suspension of news services from Canada to the European region. Meta explained in a blog post that "(the suspension of news services) is part of efforts to focus more investment on the products and services that people care about most." It also emphasized that it is not blocking links to articles or news outlet pages, but simply removing the dedicated news tab.
Furthermore, Meta added, "European news media, like any other individual or organization, can use their Facebook accounts and pages to post article links and direct people to their websites." The suspension of Facebook News services in Europe will take effect from early December.
Facebook News is a news section introduced by Meta in 2019, located as a dedicated tab within the main Facebook interface. It was first launched in the United States and then expanded globally to countries including the UK, Germany, Australia, and France.
Meta's suspension of news services is due to the introduction of legislation requiring payment for news usage to media outlets. Around the world, parliaments are enacting laws that require big tech companies, which generate advertising revenue by using local news, to pay for news usage.
Earlier, in June, when the Canadian parliament passed the 'Online News Act' requiring digital platforms like Facebook to pay Canadian media for news usage, Meta declared a suspension of news supply.
Laws requiring payment for news usage began in Australia in 2021 and have since been introduced in Canada and some US states. In Europe, under the European Union (EU) Copyright Directive, Meta and Google have been signing licensing agreements with news media.
Meta stated that controversy over Facebook News usage fees is growing, and argued, "We know that people do not come to Facebook to get news and political content. They come to connect with others and discover new opportunities, passions, and interests."
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