According to a recent report, Canada’s Senate has approved a bill that will require tech giants Google and Meta (formerly known as Facebook) to pay news outlets for the news content they share or reuse on their platforms. The bill, which is expected to become law, aims to create a level playing field between online advertising giants and the shrinking news industry.
The approval of this bill comes after a clash between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government and Silicon Valley tech giants. Ottawa argues that the new law will improve fairness in the digital news market and help generate more revenue for struggling newsrooms. Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodríguez has also vowed to push back against threats from Facebook and Google to remove journalism from their platforms.
In response to the bill, Meta confirmed its plans to comply by ending the availability of news feeds on Facebook and Instagram for its Canadian users. The company did not provide specific details about the timeline for this move but stated that it would pull local news from its site before the Online News Law takes effect. This move is similar to what Meta did in Australia when it briefly blocked news from its platform after legislation was passed requiring tech companies to pay publishers for using their news.
Legacy outlets and broadcasters have praised this bill as it promises to bring more fairness into the digital news market and provide much-needed support for traditional media organizations. Tech giants like Google and Meta have been criticized in the past for dominating the advertising industry, leaving smaller players struggling to compete.
The Online News Act requires both Google and Meta to enter into agreements with news publishers in order to compensate them for using their content if it helps these tech giants make money. However, there are no immediate obligations under this law until all details are made public before any tech giant is designated under it.
This development follows similar actions taken by Meta in Australia earlier this year when they blocked news links from their platform but later reached agreements with Australian publishers. It remains unclear how these changes will impact the news landscape in Canada and whether they will have a significant effect on the relationship between tech giants and news outlets.
Consequently, Canada’s Senate has passed a bill that will require Google and Meta to pay news outlets for the content they share or reuse on their platforms. The aim is to level the playing field between online advertising giants and the struggling news industry. This move has been welcomed by legacy outlets and broadcasters but has raised concerns about how it may affect access to news for Canadian users. It remains to be seen how these changes will unfold and whether they will have a lasting impact on the digital news market.
Note: The article above is an analysis of recent events based on information from various sources. For more details, please refer to the original source (here)(https://federalnewsnetwork.com/technology-news/2023/06/canadian-senate-passes-bill-requiring-google-meta-to-pay-for-news/).
