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8 uw oS Zz = Ss = | Thursday, July 20, 2023 | = FACEBOOK IS # UNFRIENDING NEWS. HERE'S HOW TO STAY § CONNECTED PAUL BERTON Column Meta's war on newsisal- readly affecting readers. erhaps you've noticed it's pander to find news on your Facebook feed recent- I ly. As the tech company continues to manipulate the platform to bar users from accessing Canadian 8 3 2 2 [4 2 i 2 content, we can expect fur- er disruptions in how we access our news. What local news - origi- nal material produced by journalists in your com- munity - are you missing? There has been much speculation about what happens if Google also pulls back on Canadian news: a simple search for the results of the Jays’ game last weekend would have yielded only coverage m the Detroit news out- lets covering the game and none from Canadian out- lets. This isjust a hint of how access to trusted media would be transformed if Meta and Google go ahead with threats to eliminate Canadian news from their feeds — a protest against Bill C-18, the federal Online News Act which will force KINTEC FIT EXPERT TODAY! KINTEC.NET/BOOK the tech companies toenter into deals with Canadian media publishers for using their online news content. The internet upended the traditional media busi- ness model; it brought our content before exponen- tially bigger audiences and big tech's ability to link to our content helped them gain dominance in digital ad spend, with 80 per cent ofall ad revenue in Canada now going to Google and Facebook. Media companies like Torstar, which owns the Toronto Star and Metro- land Media newspapers and web sites, support the law as a necessary tool to get the dominant tech gi- ants to fairly compensate news publishers for use of their oditorial content. and Google have ments of the new legisla- tion remain unclear and that they. are being ‘unfairly forced int agree- ments. Yor context, Meta's advertising revenue was $185 billion last year, 97.5 Per cent of their total reve- Google's advertising revenue was $224 billion, 80 per cent of their total reve- nue. And even though it will be months before the law comes into effect, the high stakes battle has begun, with Meta a already pulling out Canadian news, ene federal govern- ment responding by _ ing all its ad spending wit the company and ee ous media companies —in- cluding the Star and Met- roland's parent company — following suit. Although Google joined Meta's oppo- BILL v1. BIG TECH AND YOU has taken action so far. With so many issues in the a news affecting our i ur province andou our couniry, it's impor- tant that whatever actions the tech companies take during this dispute, read- ers continue to have access to the trusted journalism that helps them under- stand and navigate their world. We know that many of our readers come to us via Meta and Google id there's obviously a risk sources could ss during this tumultuous time. To guard against that, the here are all tl le waye you remain oo eet to us and contin- all of our latest content + Bookmark waterloo- chronicle.ca - an easy we to follow the latest news on your mobile devices. - Sign up for our news- letters at waterloochroni- cle.ca/site/newsletters/. edia news- papers have been deliver- ing news to Ontarians for more than a century and this latest challenge only reaffirms our commit- ment. ees 's never beena more it time to support ested Canadi journalism. Paul Berton is Met- roland's editor-in-chief. SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT balked” arguing that ele- sition to C-18, only Meta WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH A KINTEC’S UNIQUE APPROACH TO FOOTWEAR & ORTHOTICS NOT JUST YOUR AVERAGE SHOE STORE! Our mission is to show you footwear can do more than you imagined. Whether pushing physical limits or guiding you back from injury — experience the Kintec difference! Over the past 30 years our Fit System™ has helped more than half a million customers find their perfect fit. Our leading selection of performance footwear features premium brands like Nike and Hoka — hand-picked for maximum support and style. KINTEC. KEEPING CANADIANS ACTIVE, ON THEIR FEET, FOR LIFE! OOluKai PRESENT THIS COUPON IN STORE AND RECEIVE Wy; not applicable Excludes oll ON, Nike, Brooks, New Balance, Sole, Birkenstock Mereel, HOKA, Soucony, and otber $15 OFF shoes, Offer valid until Nov 20th, 2023 Kintec Waterloo, 95 King St South Unit C102 | P: 519-783-1712 | kintec.net