By Canadian Press

Trudeau shows no interest in compromising with Meta, Google over online news bill

Jun 7, 2023 | 11:41 AM

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is showing no interest in compromising with Meta and Google over their online news bill that would make tech giants pay for journalism created by others that helps those companies generate revenue.

Google says it wants to compromise with the Liberal government over the proposed legislation, known as Bill C-18, which would require tech giants to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing news content.

But Trudeau says Meta and Google’s bullying tactics will not work with his government, which he says is ensuring those companies do not weaken Canada’s democracy by threatening its domestic media industry.

Meta announced last week it will test blocking access to some news for some Canadian users of its social media platforms Instagram and Facebook — a move it is willing to make permanent should C-18 pass later this month.

Google ran a similar test earlier this year, restricting access to news on its search engine for less than four per cent of its Canadian users.

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During a Senate committee, where the bill is currently being studied, big news publishers say they could lose millions of dollars should their content be blocked by Google and Meta.

Neither Google or Meta immediately responded to a request for comment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2023.

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Meta funds a limited number of fellowships that support emerging journalists at The Canadian Press.

The Canadian Press