Meta Platforms (META) is experimenting with blocking some news content on its Facebook and Instagram social media sites in Canada.
The U.S. technology company has said that the blocking of news content in Canada is a temporary test and likely to last only during the month of June.
The news feed block comes in response to federal government legislation.
Bill C-18, which is currently before the Canadian Senate, will require technology companies such as Meta Platforms to pay publishers for linking to or repurposing their content online.
Alphabet (GOOGL), the parent company of search engine Google, blocked news content in Canada for five weeks earlier this year, also in response to Bill C-18.
Meta has said that it's prepared to block news content permanently on Facebook and Instagram if the legislation becomes law in Canada.
A block will not allow Canadian users to see or share news content in Canada either on Instagram or Facebook, including articles, short-form videos, feature stories, and photos.
International news companies such as The New York Times (NYT) and BBC could have their content blocked in Canada during the test, Meta Platforms said.
Canadians can still access their accounts, pages, and advertising as normal on the social media platforms.
Meta Platforms’ stock is up 40% over the last 12 months and trading at $272.61 U.S. per share.
