Toronto, April 16, 2025: As Canadians prepare to vote this month, campaign news is being shaped less by traditional media and more by influencers and online creators—thanks to Meta’s ongoing ban on news links across Facebook and Instagram.
The tech giant has blocked access to Canadian news since last year in protest against the federal Online News Act, which requires digital platforms to pay journalism outlets for their content. While screenshots and memes still circulate, direct links to reputable news articles remain inaccessible, weakening traditional journalism’s reach during a critical election period.
“The quality of information isn’t necessarily the same,” said Angus Lockhart of the Dais public policy think tank. Without direct exposure to media outlets, many voters are consuming filtered or biased interpretations of the news through social media.
Aengus Bridgman of the Canadian Media Ecosystem Observatory warned this shift could lead to a more fragmented electorate. “Fewer people have a broad understanding of politics now, with more gravitating toward specific, narrow issues,” he said.
With mainstream outlets sidelined, politicians, influencers, and citizen journalists are filling the void. Some, like Manitoba’s Jasmin Laine, who regularly shares right-leaning political takes on Instagram, claim they’re offering balance against what they see as media bias. “Being transparent about my viewpoint doesn’t mean I’m abandoning accuracy,” she said.
But experts caution that relying heavily on commentary from non-journalists can trap users in echo chambers. Lockhart said there’s growing evidence that those who rely on social media for news are more susceptible to misinformation.
Journalist Rachel Gilmore, who shares her reporting on TikTok and YouTube, applauded mainstream outlets trying to reach voters through these platforms, but said the line between professional reporting and unverified commentary is increasingly blurred. “Some creators are doing great work, others not so much—it’s tough for Canadians to tell the difference.”
Platforms like TikTok and X aren’t bound by the Online News Act, and Google has opted to support journalism financially. Meta’s Threads app also appears to be loosely enforcing the ban, with some news content still slipping through.
Local journalists are getting creative. Christopher Curtis of The Rover, a Quebec-based outlet, said his engagement dropped after Meta blocked their account, but direct outreach helped rebuild audiences. “People are still hungry for good local coverage,” he said, adding that his goal is to offer “a more nuanced, calmer version of the truth.”
