TECH - Meta's Move To Block News Erodes 'Signals Of Reliability' As Right-Wing Memes Thrive On Canadian Facebook: Report | Benzinga
The decision by Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) to block news links in Canada has reportedly led to a surge in right-wing content and could potentially disrupt political discourse.
What Happened: Meta’s move to block news links in Canada, rather than pay media companies for their content, has led to a significant increase in right-wing content on the platform, reported Reuters.
This decision could have far-reaching implications for political discourse, especially in election years.
Jeff Ballingall, a prominent right-wing meme producer in Canada, has seen a substantial increase in traffic to his Canada Proud Facebook page since the news block. “Our numbers are growing and we’re reaching more and more people every day,” he said.
Two unpublished studies, shared with the report, have found that the absence of news on the platform has led to a significant shift in how Canadian Facebook users engage with political information. ...