Facebook Considering Blocking News in US if Forced To Strike Deals With Publishers

Facebook isn't pleased that a number of countries are looking to make it pay publishers for news content.

Credit: Reuters

The social media giant said it would consider blocking news on the platform in the U.S. if the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) is passed. The bill would require Big Tech to strike deals and compensate publishers for news content they use. If the likes of Facebook and Google don't comply within a given period of time, the government can mediate in the negotiation process, setting the price that has to be paid. Australia and Canada already have similar legislations in place, while New Zealand is expected to soon follow suit.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Meta’s Head of Policy Communications Andy Stone said that the move could force Facebook to "consider removing news”.

"If Congress passes an ill-considered journalism bill as part of national security legislation, we will be forced to consider removing news from our platform altogether rather than submit to government-mandated negotiations that unfairly disregard any value we provide to news out