Canadian media approaching Competition Bureau to probe Meta's news blocking - CBC

(Reuters) - Media companies including the Canadian Broadcasting Corp and Radio-Canada are requesting Competition Bureau to investigate Meta Platforms' decision to block news content on its platforms in the country, the CBC reported on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the Facebook-parent began blocking access to news on its platforms in response to the country's recently passed Online News Act, which would force companies like Meta and Google-parent Alphabet to negotiate commercial deals with Canadian news publishers for their content.

"Meta's anticompetitive conduct, which has attracted the attention of regulators around the world, will strengthen its already dominant position in advertising and social media distribution and harm Canadian journalism," the CBC report quoted the media companies as saying in a joint statement.

According to the report, the joint statement was issued by the CBC, News Media Canada - a trade body representing newspapers - and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.

The CBC, the country's public broadcaster, had previously called Meta's move irresponsible and said it was "an abuse of their market power."

(Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)