The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal adds its name to the list of organizations that will boycott Facebook and Instagram on Friday, September 15, to denounce the blocking of news on the social networks of the giant Meta.
This day without Facebook and Instagram is organized by the Professional Federation of Journalists of Quebec (FPJQ) and by the Quebec Society of Public Relations Professionals.
The mayors of Longueuil, Laval and Quebec have already announced that they will participate in the boycott action.
The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal invites businesses to join the movement in large numbers. “As discussions continue between the government and Meta regarding Bill C-18, it is important to increase pressure to support our Canadian media. The Chamber maintained its boycott throughout the summer and fully supports the objectives of the FPJQ for September 15. We are calling on all businesses to participate in order to send a strong message during this day of mobilization,” declared Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, in a press release.
September 15 is the International Day of Democracy. The public is invited to subscribe to a Quebec media outlet and to a newsletter from a local media outlet during this day.
The Canadian Journalism Association, the Union of Artists, the Friends of Broadcasting, the National Federation of Communications and Culture, the Quebec Federation of Workers, Hebdo Quebec and the press council will also join the movement .
Meta has blocked Canadian and foreign news on Facebook and Instagram since August 1, in response to Bill C-18. The Online News Act was passed last June and will be in effect from mid-December. It obliges web giants to pay a fee to the media when they share their content.
Google and Meta may have to pay $230 million to Canadian media, according to regulations governing the Online News Act that were revealed by the government on February 1.