OTTAWA: Canada has denied it ever banned Australia Today, the Indian diaspora-focused media outlet operating from down under. Global Affairs Canada said in a statement that the news site and video of media comments by both India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong, can be easily and freely viewed in Canada.
Indian govt had earlier accused Canada of “hypocrisy” on the issue of freedom of speech in banning Australia Today. “In Canada, Meta, which owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, blocked sharing of news content on their sites, irrespective of the outlet,” said the Canadian statement.
“This is due to a decision by Meta to block news on its social media platforms in Canada since 2023. This is in line with a broader business strategy on Meta’s part to de-emphasise news on its platforms globally,” it added.