Meta Threatens to Block News Posts in California If Journalism Bill Becomes Law

The Journalism Preservation Act would generate revenue for out-of-state media companies, the tech giant said.

Attendees visit the Meta booth at the Game Developers Conference 2023 in San Francisco on March 22, 2023. Jeff Chiu/AP Photo

As lawmakers in California consider a proposal that would charge journalism usage fees to some tech companies, social media giant Meta says it will block news on its platforms if the bill is signed into law.

“If the Journalism Preservation Act passes, we will be forced to remove news from Facebook and Instagram rather than pay into a slush fund that primarily benefits big, out-of-state media companies under the guise of aiding California publishers,” a spokesperson for Meta said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times.