Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has announced its plan to limit news access to Canadian users after the passage of a contentious online news bill by the country’s parliament.

The bill mandates major platforms like Meta and Google to compensate news publishers for content shared on their sites.

Both Meta and Google have already conducted tests in Canada, restricting news availability. Last year, Facebook blocked Australian users from sharing or viewing news in response to a similar law.

The Canadian Online News Act, which recently cleared the senate, requires platforms to negotiate commercial agreements and pay news organizations for their content.

Meta criticized the law as flawed and announced that news access on Facebook and Instagram would be halted for Canadian users prior to the bill’s implementation.

Google also expressed concerns about the current version of the bill and expressed a desire to collaborate with the government for a viable solution.

The Canadian government believes the online news bill will promote fairness in the digital news market and provide fair compensation to struggling news outlets.

An independent analysis estimates that news businesses could receive approximately C$329 million per year from digital platforms.

The bill is set to take effect in six months, despite objections from tech giants.