The Online News Act, passed as Bill C-18, is a Canadian law that makes dominant digital platforms bargain with news businesses and pay them when their news content is made available on the platform. It received Royal Assent on 22 June 2023, took effect on 19 December 2023, and is overseen by the CRTC. Google Search is subject to it; Meta responded by blocking news on Facebook and Instagram in Canada.
If you've ever tried to share a news article on Facebook in Canada and watched it fail, this is the law behind it. For most small businesses the Act doesn't create any obligations, but it does change what you can share and where Canadians find news.
How the Online News Act works
The government describes the Act as a bargaining framework. It runs in stages:
- Voluntary deals first. Platforms are encouraged to reach commercial agreements with a range of news businesses, including a single agreement with a group of them.
- Mediation. If the parties can't agree on their own, they move to a mediated, mandatory bargaining process.
- Final offer arbitration. If mediation fails, each side submits a final offer and an arbitral panel picks one of the two.
- Exemptions. The regulations explain how a platform can be exempted from mandatory bargaining and arbitration, for example by reaching fair agreements.
Key facts at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill C-18 |
| Royal Assent | 22 June 2023 |
| In force | 19 December 2023, 180 days after Royal Assent |
| Regulator | The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) |
| Platform covered | Google Search is expected to meet the thresholds |
| Google's contribution | $100 million a year, indexed to inflation |
| Sister law | The Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11), a separate law |
Why Canada passed it
Canadian Heritage's case is about advertising. It says most Canadians now get their news online, and that in 2022 online advertising revenues in Canada were $14 billion, with two platforms receiving roughly 80 percent of them. Meanwhile, more news outlets close each year, largely because of lost advertising revenue. The Act aims to make sure dominant platforms compensate news businesses when their content appears on their services. All figures here are as the government page states them, in Canadian dollars, as of October 2026.
What Google agreed to
The government says Google Search is expected to be subject to the Act, and that its contribution will be $100 million in financial support each year, indexed to inflation, for a wide range of news businesses across the country. Google had to run an open call so news businesses could apply. The regulations also require fair distribution within a group of news businesses, safeguards for journalistic independence, and support for independent local, Indigenous and official language minority community outlets.
Why you can't see news on Facebook and Instagram in Canada
Meta chose a different route. In its 2023 announcement, it said that to comply with the Online News Act it was ending news availability in Canada on Facebook and Instagram. Its own summary of the change:
- News links and content posted by news publishers and broadcasters in Canada would no longer be viewable by people in Canada.
- Outlets outside Canada could still post, but people in Canada wouldn't see that content.
- People in Canada would no longer be able to view or share news content, including articles and audio-visual content posted by news outlets.
- Nothing changed for people using the platforms outside Canada.
Meta argued the law misrepresents the value news outlets get from posting on its platforms, and said people don't come to Facebook or Instagram for news. Meta identifies news outlets using the Act's legislative definitions and guidance.
The catch for businesses that share news
Here's what this means if you run a Facebook or Instagram page in Canada. You can still post your own content, but if your marketing relies on sharing a local newspaper's article about you, people in Canada may not be able to see the link. A press feature about your business is still worth having; just share it in a way that doesn't depend on the news link, such as a screenshot with your own caption, a post on your website, or a line in your newsletter.
- Got press coverage? Put it on your own website and link to that page instead.
- Run a local news or newsletter business? Check whether you count as a news business under the Act, because Meta uses the Act's definitions to decide what to block.
- Selling to people outside Canada? Meta said its services didn't change for people outside Canada.
What the Act doesn't do
The Act's bargaining duties fall on large platforms, not on ordinary businesses or creators. It's a framework between large platforms and news businesses. It also isn't the same as the Online Streaming Act, which deals with Canadian stories and music on streaming services. The government lists them as separate pieces of legislation with different implementation processes.
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If social media is a big part of how Canadians find you, it's worth knowing how the platforms reward content there: here's what Facebook pays per 1,000 views in Canada. And because a newsletter can't be blocked by a platform decision, our guide to growing an email newsletter is the other half of the answer.
My advice
Don't build your marketing on sharing news links in Canada. Publish your press coverage and announcements on your own site, send them to your list, and use Facebook and Instagram for your own posts. Platform decisions about news can change, so check Meta's current position before you plan a campaign around news content.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Online News Act?
It's a Canadian law, passed as Bill C-18, that creates a bargaining framework so dominant digital platforms compensate news businesses when their content is made available on their services.
When did the Online News Act come into effect?
It received Royal Assent on 22 June 2023 and its effective date was 19 December 2023, 180 days later.
Why is news blocked on Facebook in Canada?
In 2023 Meta said that to comply with the Online News Act it was ending news availability in Canada, so people in Canada would no longer be able to view or share news content on Facebook and Instagram.
How much does Google pay under the Online News Act?
The government says Google's contribution will be $100 million in financial support annually, indexed to inflation, for news businesses across Canada.
Who oversees the Online News Act?
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is responsible for overseeing the bargaining framework under the Act.
