• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, March 13, 2024

This is not to imply agreement with any politician. But Meta is trying to blackmail publishers and legislators.  

The mega-tech company threatens to remove news links in Illinois if the Illinois General Assembly passes the Journalism Preservation Act (SB3591), a bill introduced in February by Senator Steve Stadelman (D) 34th District. 

As written, SB3591 requires that “online platforms shall track and record, on a monthly basis, the total number of times the online platform's websites link to, display, or present a digital journalism provider's news articles, works of journalism, or other content that are displayed or presented to Illinois residents and remit a journalism usage fee payment to each digital journalism provider who has satisfied specific requirements.” 

Meta strenuously objects, as it has in every instance where such a bill has been proposed.   

“If faced with legislation that requires us to pay for news content that publishers voluntarily post on our platforms and is not the reason most people come to Facebook and Instagram, we will be forced to make the same business decision that we made in Canada to end the availability of news in Illinois,” says Meta spokesperson Jamie Radice, according to mystateline.com.

Meta is also bullying the entire nation of Australia. 

The company had actually been paying $70 million a year to news outlets in deals made under the News Media Bargaining Code. But it is not renewing those deals, ABC News reports. 

This could hurt: Facebook is the top social media platform for news in Australia, commanding 32% of traffic, ABC adds.

We’re inclined to support any outlet that is pilloried by both left and right on the grounds of free speech alone. But this is hardly a free speech issue when the company is blocking news content in Canada and is killing its news tab virtually everywhere. 

An older colleague liked to say, “Never get into a fight with a reporter.” (He used more colorful language). 

We trust the same can be said of state legislators everywhere – and the U.S. Congress.