Following Meta Platforms’ (META.O) decision to block access to news on both the social media platforms in Canada due to a law requiring payments to local news publishers, Quebecor, a telecom and media company, announced on Wednesday that it will stop running its advertisements on Facebook and Instagram.
The “Online News Act,” or House of Commons bill C-18, which was filed in April of last year set up regulations to compel businesses like Meta and Alphabet-owned (GOOGL.O) Google to enter into commercial agreements and compensate news publishers for their material.
Google and Meta previously said they would block access to news articles in Canada if the legislation is passed.
Quebecor, which also owns media outlets and newspapers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how much it spends on advertisements on Facebook and Instagram.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Canada’s media industry has called for tighter regulation of internet giants to allow news businesses to recoup financial losses suffered in the years that Facebook and Google gained a greater share of the online advertising market.
