OTTAWA — Saskatchewan RCMP say Meta’s decision to remove news links from Facebook and Instagram will affect the way they relay information. 

In the coming weeks, police forces won’t be able to count on local news popping up in people’s social media feeds as they scroll. 

Mounties in Saskatchewan say they are working through ways to maximize their distribution of public safety messaging.

Meanwhile, other police forces say they will use their existing social media presence to keep people informed.   

Winnipeg police say they will use their accounts to keep people informed of missing persons or breaking news. 

Meta is set to remove all news for Canadian users in response to the Liberal government’s Online News Act, which requires some tech giants to pay for news content shared or repurposed on their platforms. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2023. 

The Canadian Press