Telecom and media company Quebecor yesterday announced its decision to withdraw advertising from Facebook and Instagram, in response to Meta Platforms’ recent move to block news access on these platforms in Canada.

The dispute arises from a legislation known as the “Online News Act” or House of Commons bill C-18, which mandates payments to local news publishers.

Introduced in April of the previous year, the bill sets out regulations compelling companies like Meta and Google to negotiate commercial agreements and compensate news publishers for their content. Both Meta and Google had previously stated their intentions to restrict access to news articles in Canada if the law was passed, Reuters reported.

Quebecor, which operates various media outlets and newspapers, has not yet provided details on its advertising expenditures on Facebook and Instagram. Meta has not responded to requests for comment at the time of writing.

Canada’s media industry has long advocated for stricter regulation of internet giants to enable news organizations to recover financial losses incurred during the years when Facebook and Google dominated the online advertising market.

The withdrawal of Quebecor’s ads from Facebook and Instagram represents another development in the ongoing battle between digital platforms and news publishers, highlighting the growing urgency for a resolution that supports the viability of the news industry in the digital age.