New York, 2 August 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Canadians have started to lose access to news content on Facebook and Instagram, parent company Meta confirmed on Tuesday.

"In order to comply with the Online News Act, we have begun the process of ending news availability in Canada. These changes start today, and will be implemented for all people accessing Facebook and Instagram in Canada over the course of the next few weeks."

The new law will force tech giants to pay news outlets for posting their content on the platforms. It is expected to take effect in Canada by December.

"The legislation is based on the incorrect premise that Meta benefits unfairly from news content shared on our platforms, when the reverse is true," Meta said.

"The only way we can reasonably comply with this legislation is to end news availability for people in Canada," the company said.

"In the future, we hope the Canadian government will recognize the value we already provide the news industry and consider a policy response that upholds the principles of a free and open internet, champions diversity and innovation, and reflects the interests of the entire Canadian media landscape."

News links and content posted by local or international news publishers and broadcasters will no longer be viewable by people in Canada, Meta said.

However, users in Canada would still be able to use other products and services to "connect with friends, families and groups, engage with their local communities and discover something new," Meta added.