Meta will block news content in Canada — why?
Meta is permanently ending news access in Canada, and Google may soon do the same.
This is big trouble for traditional media organizations who heavily rely on millions of annual website visits from Facebook and Google.
The Liberal government recently passed Bill C-18, which would have forced Meta and Google to pay news organizations every time a link was shared to their website.
This legislation was designed to provide an influx of cash to struggling news organizations at the expense of tech giants — but it was doomed to fail.
News organizations share their own links to social media because it was a huge benefit to them. This free traffic drove millions of website visits and helped them generate ad revenue to stay alive.
But the Liberal government tried to claim Meta and Google were “stealing” content from news organizations, and wanted Meta and Google to pay.
Meta’s Reaction to Bill C-18
But news and politics have never been a core business for Meta or Google — they represent an incredibly small percentage of revenue, and studies show the vast majority of users are actually annoyed by political content.
That’s why other platforms, like TikTok, have explicitly banned political advertising. It makes the platforms more enjoyable and fun for users.
So Meta and Google were never going to pay for the “privilege” of letting news organizations share their content.
Instead, they are going to block news content — make it inaccessible for users in Canada.
It remains to be seen exactly how this is going to work, but we know that certain media accounts will simply be blocked, and links to certain websites will not be allowed to be shared.
What should media organizations do instead?
So if you’re a news organization, political group, or advocacy group, that heavily relies on sharing links on social media, what do you do now?
We think this is a great opportunity to invest in the fastest growing space in digital marketing — short-form video content.
- YouTube Shorts are viewed 30 billion times per day.
- TikTok is the most downloaded app in the world.
- 91% of Instagram users report watching video content daily.
- Half of all internet usage is dedicated to video content.
There is a massive opportunity for journalists, politicians, and advocacy groups to fill the news content void with short-form video content.
Ready to start filming short-form video content?
If you want to supercharge your digital campaigns with high performing short form video content, here’s what testerdigital can do for you:
- Content Ideas – generate ideas to fill your content calendar with high-performing short-form video content
- Scriptwriting – turn ideas into concise, authentic, and effective scripts for short-form video
- Filming – film your video with our team for high quality production and lighting at any location
- Editing – produce engaging and high performing short form videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more
Book a call today with testerdigital if you’re ready to get started!
