Show notes
Episode Notes
Canadians can still use Facebook and Instagram, but they cannot use those platforms the same way to reach news reporting. Since 2023, Meta has made news content unavailable to people in Canada, removing a familiar path from social posts to original articles and broadcasts.
Miriam Ber returns to The Weird Canadian to discuss what filled that information gap and why source traceability matters. The conversation covers the Online News Act, the difference between policy intent and measured outcomes, Canada's approach compared with Australia, the pressure on local journalism, rural and wildfire information access, and the challenge of checking screenshots or summaries when the underlying news link is unavailable.
Miriam and Cody also discuss House of Commons petition e-7543, which asks the federal government to review the Act's impact, report on whether it is meeting its objectives, and engage with Meta about restoring news access.
Topics include:
- What disappeared when Meta removed news availability in Canada
- The Online News Act and the gap between policy intent and platform response
- Why screenshots and second-hand summaries are harder to verify
- Local journalism, rural communities, and emergency information
- Canada and Australia's different approaches to Meta
- Petition e-7543 and the case for reviewing implemented laws
- How Bill C-9 and Bill C-34 enter the wider digital-policy debate
Guest links:
- Hold the Floor in the North: https://holdthefloornorth.substack.com
- X: https://x.com/miriamrachel75
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hiyaitsmiriam
- Petition e-7543: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-7543
Official context:
- Online News Act: https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-18
- Meta's statement on news availability in Canada: https://about.fb.com/news/2023/06/changes-to-news-availability-on-our-platforms-in-canada/
- Bill C-9: https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/45-1/c-9
- Bill C-34: https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/45-1/c-34
Sponsor and partner links:
- PodMatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/the_weird_canadian
- PLAUD: https://plaudca.sjv.io/the_weird_canadian
- Async: https://async.com/?ref=zjdlyzn
Disclosure: The PodMatch and Async links are affiliate links, which means The Weird Canadian may earn a commission if you sign up through them. Confirm the required PLAUD disclosure before publishing.
Watch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCK8eYVkb8s
Episodes, sources, and more: https://theweirdcanadian.ca
Follow The Weird Canadian in your podcast app and share this episode with someone who cares about local news, digital policy, or public trust.
Support The Weird Canadian by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-weird-canadian
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.