While Meta is under fire for planning to yank journalistic content off Facebook and Instagram in Canada over the Online News Act, some policy experts are criticizing Canadian lawmakers for passing the legislation, arguing that the backlash was predictable plus the law won’t adequately address issues with Big Tech or the media industry.

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The American Economic Liberties Project tweeted Friday that “Meta’s back on its blackmail routine, but Canadian lawmakers know better,” echoing Erik Peinert, the group’s research manager and editor, who had similarly praised the country’s policymakers a day earlier.

“Canadian lawmakers stepped up today to save news outlets that are being eaten alive by Big Tech’s business model of monetizing their content with no compensation,” Peinert said in a Thursday statement. “Similar legislation has already restored Australia’s news landscape, injecting millions into the industry to support a new generation of journalists and strengthen democracy.”

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This week’s developments in Canada could inform debates about such bills elsewhere, including in the United States. Peinert on Thursday urged U.S. lawmakers considering the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA), sponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), to “follow Australia and Canada’s lead.” Anti-monopoly campaigners have also welcomed a similar bill by California state lawmakers.

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