Group calls for Facebook, Instagram boycott on Aug. 23 and 24

TORONTO –

An advocacy group is looking on Canadians to boycott Facebook and Instagram later this week.

The Friends of Canadian Broadcasting group is asking individuals to cease posting content material on Meta’s platforms on Aug. 23 and 24.

The group says the transfer is supposed to point out that Canadians will not be pushed round by Meta, which determined to tug news from Canadian publishers from its platforms in response to laws that lately handed.

The Online News Act requires tech giants Meta and Google to make offers with news publishers whose work they hyperlink to or repurpose on their platforms.

So far, Meta has proven an unwillingness to cooperate on a possible deal.

The group’s govt director Marla Boltman says the boycott will present Meta that if news leaves the platform, so will customers.

“Eyeballs on their platforms are the most valuable commodity Meta has,” she added in an announcement.

“Losing many Canadian users, even for a short period of time, will get their attention. But more importantly, it will give Canadians an opportunity to demonstrate their frustration and disappointment with Meta.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Aug. 21, 2023.