Overview
- About 15 French- and English-language stations, including CHCH and CHEK, filed the application, representing a reach of more than 3.5 million Canadians across several provinces.
- The filing includes a dossier with dozens of clips and screenshots totaling more than 100 examples of their news appearing on Facebook and Instagram since the law took effect.
- The broadcasters argue Meta qualifies as a digital news intermediary and must negotiate compensation, a process Google avoided by agreeing to an annual payment regime reported at $100 million.
- The CRTC confirmed receipt of the application, while Meta declined to comment on the request to bring it under the Online News Act.
- Ottawa remains in talks with Meta about restoring news access, as stations warn the ban has fueled reposted material and AI-generated content; CHEK reported Meta indicated it would pay for AI training use only if news outlets publicly seek repeal of the law.