Against the journalism bill to pass in California, Facebook and Instagram is threatening to block news stories in the region
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced the blockage of stories in California on the condition that the “California Journalism Preservation Act” be passed by the state. As per information, this bill demands that giant tech holders pay news publishers in exchange for the usage of their content.
There has been a constant fight between Google and Facebook about the overpayment for the content that is being displayed for the users. The statement provided by the platforms was based on the provision of free sites for users to publish their content without paying them in exchange. Whereas publishers, along with their advocates, are holding the agenda that free-of-charge usage of data is causing journalism to die and a make-up for their loss is required.
Despite this matter, California has taken steps further and is quite close to passing a bill that will obligate Facebook and Instagram to pay new publishers on the platforms. Through this act, a 70% cut is being demanded from the platform that generates revenue by displaying news content for users. This implementation will benefit local newsrooms that are affected by lower revenues.
Facebook and Instagram are against the act’s policy of paying new publishers in California
The reaction of Meta against this bill being passed was to block news stories in the region. The company defended its side by arguing that this bill affects websites outside the state other than those located inside the state.
“If the Journalism Preservation Act passes, we will be forced to remove news from Facebook and Instagram rather than pay into a slush fund that primarily benefits big, out-of-state media companies under the guise of aiding California publishers,” said Andy Stone, a spokesman for Meta. According to a spokesperson for Meta, the measure would require the business to “pay or remove the news.”
Instead, the bill’s proponent, Buffy Wicks, thinks that these laws will operate as a “lifeline” for regional news organisations, whose advertising revenues have plummeted. Community news outlets have been shrinking and disappearing at an alarming rate, Wicks continued, as news consumption has shifted online.
Executive vice president of the News Media Alliance, Danielle Coffey, supports the idea of requiring Big Tech to support neighbourhood newsrooms. The warning from Meta, he said, was “undemocratic and unbecoming.”
In spite of having a comparable action pending in Europe, Google was ultimately compelled to reach a settlement with more than 300 publishers there. Whether Meta would submit to the measure is still up in the air. Paying Californian news organizations, however, would encourage other states to craft legislation along the same lines and ask Meta to fund their regional newsrooms.
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