How to Bypass Canada’s Online News Act 2024: Access Local News
If you’re in Canada, you may have noticed that you can’t see or share news on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. After the Online News Act was passed in June 2023, Google and Meta decided to remove all Canadian news content from their platforms. While Google reached an agreement to avert the news ban, Meta has removed all news content for users in Canada.
If you usually get your news from Meta sites, you can still stay abreast of Canadian news by using different social media platforms, like X (Twitter), or visiting the news website directly. You can also use a VPN to change your virtual location and access Canadian news content through Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
I tested 20+ VPNs, and only a few worked with Meta sites to access Canada’s news from within the country. ExpressVPN worked best, consistently accessing local and international news on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. You can even get ExpressVPN for Canada risk-free since it’s protected by a 30-day money-back guarantee if it doesn’t work for you.
Get ExpressVPN to see Canadian news
Warning! I don’t condone using a VPN to bypass any government laws or restrictions placed by online platforms. Do your own research about the local laws and the repercussions of accessing blocked Canadian news with a VPN to avoid being prosecuted or banned.
Quick Guide: 3 Ways to Access Canadian News Despite Blocks by Tech Giants
- Use alternate social media platforms and news aggregation sites — you can check out X, Reddit, or Feedly, which don’t restrict news access in Canada.
- Visit Canadian news sites directly — go straight to the source — CBC, CTV, and Global News still give you the scoop.
- Use a VPN — mask your location with a VPN to access Canadian news and boost your online security.
What Is the Canada Online News Act or Bill C-18?
The Online News Act in Canada, also known as Bill C-18, requires all online platforms to pay news publishers if they reproduce or share their content. The platforms include social media sites like Facebook and search engines like Google.
The bill is an attempt to help struggling news publishers earn money for their hard work and journalism so they can stay in business. However, the effectiveness of this legislation in increasing revenue for news organizations hinges on the compliance of tech companies. Google and Meta have chosen not to comply with Bill C-18. This may lead these news organizations to face major losses due to reduced organic traffic, clicks, and subscriptions.
Google and Meta argued that this law imposes an unreasonable financial burden on them for merely providing Canadians with access to news from Canadian publishers. Also, Google has indicated that Bill C-18 will make it unfeasible for them to continue offering their News Showcase product in Canada.
Meta responded by blocking all Canadian news from their platforms instead of paying to show them. This means that internet users in Canada will not be able to see news content through Meta’s social media sites.
Google November 2023 Update
While Google initially planned to remove all news links from their search results in Canada by December 2023, the company has reached an agreement with the Canadian government — an annual C$100 million payment by Google to Canadian news outlets. This agreement benefits news organizations, including those serving Indigenous and minority-language communities, addressing Google’s concerns and bolstering Canadian journalism.
3 Ways to Access Canadian News From Canada Despite Blocks by Meta
1. Use a VPN
If you’re in Canada and usually get your news from Facebook or Instagram, you’ve probably already noticed that content from news organizations (CBC, Global News, NYT) has vanished from your feed. If you search their pages, you’ve probably seen the message “People in Canada can’t see this content.”
Thankfully, you can bypass these blocks by connecting to a VPN server outside Canada (where news is still available on these sites).
- Get a VPN. ExpressVPN is the best at getting around Meta news blocks. While the Facebook block was tougher to get around, ExpressVPN’s UK servers worked every time.
- Connect to a server outside of Canada. You might be tempted to connect to nearby US servers, but servers in the UK and Germany were much more effective.
- Open your Facebook or Instagram app. Note: You may have to relaunch the app after connecting to the VPN.
Aside from letting you view Canadian and international news content from Canada, a VPN will also keep you safe online. By encrypting your internet traffic, your activities are hidden from prying eyes (including Meta’s own concerning practices).
If that isn’t concerning enough, Canada is a part of the 5 Eyes Alliance, which shares internet surveillance data with other member countries. A VPN will provide the privacy you need from anyone who wants to know what you’re doing online.
2. Use Alternate Social Media Platforms & News Aggregators
At the time of writing, only Meta has blocked Canadian news on its platforms. Other social media platforms still show and allow you to share Canadian news. These include X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and Reddit.
To get updates directly from Canadian news media, you can follow their social accounts on X (Twitter) or news aggregation sites like Feedly, Panda, and Reddit. The Online News Act Canada may affect news links on Threads, but this isn’t certain yet as the platform is still relatively new.
Reddit is a particularly popular site for finding national and local news stories, as many Canadian cities even have their own dedicated subreddits.
3. Visit News Sites Directly
You can go to sites like CBC, CTV, and Global News directly to get the latest reports. You can also download these news portals’ apps and subscribe to receive regular email updates from them.
The Best VPNs to Access Canadian News on Meta Sites (Tested 2024)
1. ExpressVPN — #1 VPN to Get Canadian News on Facebook and Instagram
Key Features:
- Over 3,000 servers in 105 countries around the world
- Military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, split tunneling, RAM-based servers, and more
- Reach customer support via email, 24/7 live chat, and online guides
- Access Canadian news on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads
- Connect up to 8 devices at the same time
- A generous 30-day money-back guarantee
ExpressVPN is the top VPN to keep seeing Canadian news feeds in Canada and stay on top of recent headlines. Connecting to servers in New York, Los Angeles, London, and others turned up links to CTV and The Globe and Mail on my Instagram feed.
There are at least 24 ExpressVPN server locations in the US, which is geographically near Canada. This is significant because distant VPN servers require longer for data to travel, thus minimizing speed. Additionally, a big network in the US and other nearby countries means there’s less congestion when you connect to a server. This improves speeds.
However, when my colleagues in Canada tested servers in Washington, US (in an incognito window), they were still unable to see any news content on Facebook. Surprisingly, they had the most luck with ExpressVPN servers in the UK.
My team reported speeds of more than 90 Mbps (only around a 7% drop from base speed), even on servers 9,000 miles away from their location. All the news sites tested (including The Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun, and National Post) loaded instantly on Facebook and Instagram.
Aside from blocking Canadian news, Meta is known for logging user information. Thankfully, ExpressVPN has a range of security features to keep your activities private on social media, including:
- No-logs policy — independently audited to confirm that it doesn’t log your data. Plus, it runs on RAM-based servers that delete all data with every reboot.
- Military-grade encryption — encrypts your traffic with a 256-bit cipher so that sites like Meta can’t see your IP address.
- Data leak protection — ensures no DNS or IP information escapes the encryption while you access Canadian and international news.
- Network Lock kill switch — shuts down your browsing session instantly if your device loses connection to the VPN.
- British Virgin Islands headquarters — based in a privacy-friendly location, where the laws don’t require user log or internet monitoring.
The price for all this is a little higher than most other VPNs as ExpressVPN costs $6.67 a month for the 1-year + 3 months plan. However, it’s worth it because it fetches Canadian news reliably on Meta sites, and it does so privately.
You can buy ExpressVPN risk-free. If you find it’s not good for you, you can ask for a refund within 30 days. I used the live chat system to ask for my money back, and I was refunded within 4 days without questions.
ExpressVPN is compatible with: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Fire, Android TV, gaming consoles, select routers, and more.
2024 Update! ExpressVPN has dropped prices for a limited time to a crazy $6.67 per month for the 1-year plan + 3 months free (you can save up to 49%)! This is a limited offer so be sure to grab it now before it's gone. See more information on this offer here.
2. CyberGhost — NoSpy Servers Improve Privacy When Reading Canadian News Online
Key Features:
- 11,800 servers in 100 countries including 1390+ in the US
- Military-grade encryption, kill switch, and NoSpy servers
- Email support, 24/7 live chat, and online tutorials available
- Unblocks news content on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads
- Use with 7 devices simultaneously
- 45-day refund policy
CyberGhost’s NoSpy servers keep your Canadian news browsing private from third-party server operators. They’re owned and maintained by CyberGhost’s internal staff, so your information is protected by its no-log policy. These servers are also based in Romania, which isn’t part of any data-sharing pacts.
During testing, my colleagues in Canada had trouble unblocking news on Facebook while connected to CyberGhost’s US servers. However, most of CyberGhost’s western European servers worked and quickly accessed news accounts on both social media sites.
For security, CyberGhost uses 256-bit encryption and data leak protection that worked every time during my tests. It also has:
- Automatic kill switch — terminates your session if the VPN connection drops while you’re reading Canadian news.
- Block Content option — blocks any malware-containing ads that may appear on news sites.
- WiFi protection — starts a VPN connection automatically when using a public hotspot to make sure you’re not vulnerable to hackers while reading news online.
- Split tunneling — lets you route only certain traffic through CyberGhost, so you can read Canadian news on your browser while using your local apps without encryption.
Accessing Canadian news sites was easy while connected to CyberGhost’s servers. I tried 5 of its 1390+ US servers, and I was able to see links and read articles from sites like CBC, Toronto Sun, Vancouver Sun, and National Post every single time.
Although CyberGhost is second only to ExpressVPN in terms of speeds, distant servers were noticeably slower. The server in Singapore slowed my connection by 32% due to being 6,500+ miles away from me. However, this won’t be a problem as US servers are plentiful and very fast to read Canadian news.
It only costs $2.19 a month to subscribe to CyberGhost’s 2-year + 2 months plan, and it comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee. To test this policy, I messaged CyberGhost’s support team via 24/7 live chat. My refund was confirmed in just 2 minutes, and my money was returned to my account the same week.
CyberGhost is compatible with: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, Amazon Kindle, gaming consoles, select routers, and more.
3. Private Internet Access (PIA) — Large Server Network to Read Canadian News on Meta Sites Without Congestion
Key Features:
- Huge network of 35,000+ servers in 91 countries, including thousands in the US
- Military-grade encryption, an automatic kill switch, and a no-log policy
- Customer support via 24/7 live chat, email, Twitter/X, and online knowledge base
- Reliably works to access Canadian news on Instagram, and Threads
- Use unlimited devices at the same time
- 30-day money-back guarantee
PIA has more servers than any other premium VPN I’ve tested to read Canadian news. Since there are well over 7,000+ PIA servers in the US, none of the servers I connected to were overcrowded. Since the load was distributed across the servers, I had fast speeds. Even the videos on Canadian news sites like Vancouver Sun loaded within 3 seconds.
When it comes to security and privacy in Canada, PIA uses 256-bit encryption and has a built-in kill switch to protect your data in case the VPN disconnects. Additionally, PIA has:
- Advanced kill switch — doesn’t enable the internet until the VPN connection is restored after an interruption.
- MACE — blocks ads and trackers on ad-heavy sites like Toronto Star so you can read without distractions.
Additionally, PIA supports unlimited device connections. Instead of logging in and out, you can leave all your devices connected and read Canadian news the instant there’s breaking news.
One minor drawback of PIA is that the company is based in the US, a member of the 5 Eyes Alliance. However, PIA has a strict no-log policy that’s been verified by Deloitte and proven in court, so your activities are private.
You can subscribe to PIA short-term without worries, as it’s one of the best monthly VPNs. But even better is the 2-year + 2 months plan, as it’s just $2.19 each month. Both let you get a refund within 30 days. I requested this by submitting an online support ticket and heard back from a support staff the same day. 5 days later, I had my money back.
PIA is compatible with: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, gaming consoles, select routers, and more.
Comparison Table: Best Ways to Access Canadian News
| Pros | Cons | |
| Alternate Social Media Platforms & News Aggregation Sites |
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| Visiting News Sites Directly |
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| Using a VPN |
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FAQs About VPNs and Canada Online News Act
Is it legal to access Canadian news on Google and Meta with a VPN?
Yes, it’s legal to access Canadian news using a VPN as long as you’re not living in Canada and VPNs are legal where you are. Additionally, a VPN protects your privacy from online spies and secures your data when using unsecured public WiFi. However, I don’t condone using a VPN to bypass any laws, so do your own research before connecting.
Why was the Online News Act enacted in Canada?
The Online News Act, or Bill C-18, was introduced to help Canadian news publishers earn money from their content. Recently, many advertisers have moved from news websites to social media sites like Facebook for revenue. This leads to the news publishers losing revenue and the bill aims to ensure compensation when their content is used or shared online.
This law requires tech giants to pay news publications for the use of their content. While Meta has decided to block their content instead, Google has agreed to pay C$100 million to keep news accessible to users in Canada. News organizations now face the risk of losing even more revenue. It’s because there may be a decrease in clicks and subscriptions that they used to receive through Facebook and Instagram.
Does the Online News Act impact people in the US?
No, the Online News Act only affects those living in Canada. You can freely access Canadian news on Meta sites from the US and elsewhere, as there are no laws concerning the content in other regions. It’s worth noting that Meta restricts not just Canadian news but also non-Canadian news from being viewable by users in Canada.
How does the Online News Act impact people in Canada?
Firstly, people in Canada can’t see local news on Meta sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. People living in Canada will have to use other social media sites, news aggregators, or use a VPN to access news in Canada. If this continues, there may be other consequences as well, including:
- Increased cost of internet access: Digital platforms may pass on the cost of paying news organizations to consumers, which could lead to higher internet bills.
- Reduced quality of news content: News organizations may focus on sensational stories or clickbait headlines to attract more readers and generate more revenue.
- Reduced access to news: Digital platforms may block Canadian news content from their platforms, or they may reduce the prominence of Canadian news in their search results and news feeds.
- Increased censorship: The government may use the law to censor or influence news content.
- Reduced innovation: Digital platforms may be less eager to innovate in Canada, wary of additional costs and regulations.
While Google also planned to block news for Canadian users, the company has recently agreed to pay C$100 million to avert the news ban.
Why is Meta blocking Canadian news?
Instead of complying with the Online News Act’s payment requirements, Meta has opted to block Canadian news altogether. This Act, also known as Bill C-18, mandates that these platforms compensate Canadian news organizations for sharing their content. So, if you’re in Canada and want to access local news, you’ll need to look beyond Facebook and Instagram.
Can I use a free VPN to access Canadian news on Meta?
Yes, but I don’t recommend it. If you don’t want to pay for a VPN, you can use other ways to access Canadian news portals.
Free VPNs are just not safe to use, with poor security features and bad privacy policies. Some even install malware on your device when you download the app. There are some good free VPNs out there, but they restrict speed and data, which can affect news video streaming.
If you want to use a reliable VPN without spending lots of money to stay abreast of the local news in Canada, I recommend CyberGhost. Its long-term plans have a refund policy that lets you claim your money back within 45 days of purchase.
Get the Best VPN to Access Canadian News on Meta!
The Online News Act has only made it difficult to read the latest local news, not impossible. There are many other ways you can keep up with the latest happenings in Canada. A good VPN can help access any Canadian content without being ensnared by hackers while scrolling through Facebook or using Google.
I recommend ExpressVPN as it works with every platform, has fast speeds, and protects your privacy and security. Plus, it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee so your purchase is risk-free. If you’re not happy with it, you can ask for a refund without hassle via live chat.
