The Government of Canada has reached an agreement with the Meta platform that represents a significant change in the news publishing and regulation of social media platforms in Canada. Following the agreement, news can return to Facebook and Instagram following Meta's controversial decision to remove news in response to Bill C-18. The agreement follows months of confidential negotiations between Canadian watchdogs and Meta, during which both sides They sought to address the concerns raised by Bill C-18 and find a mutual solution.

The reason for this agreement was the Canadian government's acknowledgment that Bill C-18 was wrong and that they did not understand the complexities of the Internet very well.

Canadian Heritage Minister Pascal Rodriguez noted the complexities of online platforms, saying, “We recognize that our initial approach to Bill C-18 was wrong and we are committed to working with all stakeholders in the industry. "We are sorry for all the damage Bill C-18 has caused and destroyed hundreds of well-paying journalism jobs."

Similarly, Metta acknowledged its wrongdoing in handling the situation, saying, "Our decision to block news content has caused great harm to Canadian media organizations and great harm to the Canadian public, and we apologize for that." »

This agreement represents a significant compromise on both sides. Meta has committed to returning news content to its platforms by October 21, 2025 at the latest, while the Canadian government has committed to reviewing Bill C-18.

The return of news content to Facebook and Instagram will certainly be welcome news for Canadian users who rely on these platforms as their primary source of news.

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