BayFM Facebook page blocked again due to Bill C-18

Tuesday, 30 January 2024 10:21

By Kody Gardner

Users in Canada are no longer able to view the page due to Meta's choice to not carry Canadian news due to Bill C-18.

Listeners of BayFM will notice something different about the station's Facebook page today - or lack thereof.

For the second time since the federal government announced its intention for web giants to pay for use of Canadian news, Meta, the owner of Facebook, has taken down BayFM's Facebook presence due to its unwillingness to pay. The station had created a second page in December due to its original page being blocked, which dated back to 2011.

Bill C-18, or the Online News Act, officially came into effect last summer and lays out a framework that requires Google and Meta to develop agreements with Canadian news organizations to provide them with compensation for news content that appears on their platforms. While Google initially threatened to block news content on its platforms, the government reached a deal with the company in November 2023 that will see $100 million be paid to Canadian news organizations annually. Meta has not changed its position on the issue.

BayFM's news content can continue to be heard at 100.1 FM, bayfm.ca, and on the free 100.1 BayFM app or iOS and Android.

To report an error, submit a news tip, or provide feedback, please e-mail news@bayfm.ca or call (709) 637-0183.

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