Is Facebook's ban on news, lack of fact-checking misinformation, 'malignant behaviour'? – PNI Atlantic News

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Nearly two years after the federal government passed the Online News Act in an attempt to support news organizations, many Atlantic Canadians and policy experts say finding accurate information is even more difficult.

The act was an attempt to compel digital companies such as social media platforms and search engines to provide “fair compensation to news organizations” whose content could be found on those digital platforms.

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While many social media platforms still allow media companies and others to post and share news links, Meta, which owns Facebook, responded to the 2023 legislation by imposing a full news blackout.

That means Canadian users cannot post or share links to any news site, even non-Canadian outlets, and media companies can’t post their own content there either.

‘If we can’t get it online, we’re not getting it at all’

Parry Aftab of Point Prim, PEI, says the lack of genuine news on Facebook is troubling, considering how many people use that platform to connect with others and find out what’s going on in the world.

She notes not everyone is connected to cable or subscribes to a newspaper, so they might only get their news from social media.

But without credible fact-checkers, most of what is found on Facebook is unsubstantiated or rumour, she said.

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“If we can’t get it online, we’re not getting it at all,” After said. “When you don’t even have that (fact-checking) voice out there, all you have is misinformation and hype.”

Aftab is a regular user of Facebook and operates the popular PEI Good Eats group, which promotes everything to do with the PEI food culture.

But Aftab is also a keen observer of the dangers and risks that come with the wide freedom of the Internet.

A lawyer by profession, Aftab is considered one of the founders of cyberlaw, having advised the United Nations, plus receiving awards from both the RCMP and the FBI. The American native is married to an Islander and has lived on PEI for many years.

Aftab says her experience is that “PEI is a Facebook Island” with a sizeable chunk of Islanders using it more than other social media platforms. So, she believes it’s “wrong” for Meta to prevent Canadians from using its platform to share and consume news.

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“I think it’s ridiculous that Facebook is reading (the law) as saying (users) can’t share news,” she said.

Aftab says the absence of news on a major platform like Facebook has only strengthened misinformation, something she noticed recently during the federal election.

What impact has it had?

In the last few years, the social media landscape has changed for those who consume news as well as for the journalists who report on it.

Terra Tailleur, assistant professor of journalism at the University of King’s College in Halifax, said the dynamic of some Facebook groups and pages that focus on small communities has changed. She said at one time, those groups would have a mix of posts offering local gossip, items for sale and local news stories.

“It was … where people would share a news story and then talk about that,” she said.

But with Facebook out of the picture, people looking for places to discuss news will now go to places like LinkedIn and Reddit, Tailleur said.

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“Meta never really wanted their platform to be used as a pure news delivery system,” she added.

Another social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, was also a popular venue for news. Tailleur said prior to Elon Musk’s purchase of the platform, journalists would use it often to share scoops and breaking news.

“But it wasn’t a big driver of traffic to (news websites) at all,” she said.

Facebook’s actions have forced news outlets to come up with other ways to create value, Tailleur said. Some organizations and newer start-ups are reaching their audiences more directly by newsletters, live events and other initiatives, she said.

“That’s good, (as) you can’t just rely on one distribution outlet,” she said.

Other digital-only outlets that put their content behind a hard paywall and have seen success that way, Tailleur said.

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Misinformation and misunderstandings

Tailleur said many people don’t understand the nature of social media platforms. She said while many perceive Facebook, Google and other platforms as being essentially public utilities, the fact is, those platforms control what users look at.

“The CBC or smaller newspapers have no control over what Google is serving up to you,” she said. “You have to cater to the whim of these third-party platforms. At any point, they can change the algorithm.”

Tailleur said while it makes sense to go to where the people are, the audience you might be trying to reach may not be looking for news on social media, so there’s little reason for media organizations to use it.

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Howard Law, a Toronto-based policy commentator on Canadian media issues, says while it’s difficult to gauge the full extent of damage wrought by Meta’s blocking of news, the company’s actions — which include blocking news but not misinformation — constitute ‘malignant’ behaviour.

“What’s not on Facebook is the counterweight to misinformation … which is news-gathering by professional journalists,” Law said.

Law links Meta’s actions to the company’s current relationship with US President Donald Trump, who has openly threatened Canada’s sovereignty by saying it should be ‘the 51st state.’

“Meta has defied our Parliamentary sovereignty, (and) made it clear it’s not interested in negotiating at any price,” Law said.

“We have no choice but to accept the news ban as permanent or, somehow, find an alliance with Australia and the EU to legislate mandatory carriage of Canadian news.”

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He said that while the current government supports the Online News Act, the act is only one in a long list of cultural items the government has to deal with, including the Digital Services Tax, as well as White House threats of potential tariffs on non-American film production.

He also notes Prime Minister Mark Carney’s pledge to increase CBC funding by $150 million annually.

“I’m not endorsing that as the answer to our prayers, but it would be a good thing if they are serious about it,” Law said.

He said innovative news businesses can surely adapt by distributing news on TikTok, YouTube and other platforms, but in any case: “There’s no good solution that doesn’t involve Meta being reasonable, and I see no reason to think that would happen any time soon.”

Meta’s response

When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Meta directed Postmedia to statements made when the act was passed.

Its Aug. 1, 2023, statement said in part that the act is based on the “incorrect” premise that Meta unfairly benefits from news content shared on Facebook, when in fact it’s the news outlets themselves which benefit financially and through audience share.

“In contrast, we know the people using our platforms don’t come to us for news,” Meta’s statement says.

The Department of Canadian Heritage did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

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