Meta has threatened to pull news from Facebook and Instagram if California’s Journalism Preservation Act passes.
Once the bill cleared, big tech companies will need to pay a “journalism usage fee”. As whenever they distribute local news content on their respective platforms.
“If the Journalism Preservation Act passes, we will forced to remove news from Facebook and Meta Instagram rather than pay into a slush fund.
It primarily benefits big, out-of-state media companies under the guise of aiding California publishers,” Meta said in a statement.
According to Mark Zuckerberg-run company, the bill fails to recognise. That publishers and broadcasters put their content “on our platform themselves.
And that substantial consolidation in California’s local news industry came over 15 years ago, well before Facebook widely used”.
Meta further said that it is disappointing that California lawmakers appear to be prioritising the best interests of national and international media companies over their own constituents
The California Journalism Preservation Act would tax the advertising profits platforms make from distributing news articles.
The bill’s sponsor, Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks. Also said the measure could provide a “lifeline” to local news organisations.
They have seen advertising revenue nosedive.
“As news consumption has moved online, community news outlets have downsized and closing at an alarming rate.”
Wicks said at a hearing on the bill earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Danielle Coffey, executive vice president of the News Media Alliance trade group, slammed Meta for threatening to block news in the state, reports NPR